MUMBAI: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar clarified on Friday that his government cannot waive farmers’ loans because the state’s financial condition is not sound. He asked the farmers not to wait for the waiver and start repaying them. This follows the Maharashtra government’s earlier decision not to increase the financial assistance to poor women from Rs 1500 to Rs 2,000 under the Ladli Bahena scheme.Pawar, also the finance minister, clarified that farmers should not wait for farm loan waivers. He said, “Without money, you cannot do anything; therefore, we are not in a position to waive off the farmer loans at present. Farmers should start paying their loans immediately.” March 31 is the last date for the farmers to repay the loans. “I never said and claimed after coming to power that we would waive off the farmer loan. It was not part of our party elections manifesto. Therefore, there is no question of deciding to waive the farm loan,” the finance minister said.
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