Rohit Pawar Ends Hunger Strike Maharashtra Farm Loan Waiver Row

NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar ended his hunger strike Sunday night after Maharashtra Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan assured him that the state government would convene a meeting before June 22 to address farmers’ demands on the contentious loan waiver scheme.

Pawar launched his indefinite fast last Friday, demanding a blanket farm loan waiver and the scrapping of conditions attached to the state’s recently announced debt relief scheme. He argued that these conditions would leave millions of distressed farmers without any relief.

“The state government is positive about addressing farmers’ concerns. We will hold a meeting before June 22 to discuss constructively and work towards resolving them,” Mahajan said after visiting the protest site in Pandharpur and holding discussions with Pawar, during which he also spoke to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the phone.

Pawar had been protesting against a provision that bars farmers who had availed of the 2019 loan waiver from being eligible for the current scheme. Instead, they are offered a one-time payment of Rs 50,000, a condition Pawar said would adversely impact around 36 lakh farmers in the state.

Addressing supporters after announcing the suspension of his fast, Pawar said the agitation had achieved its immediate purpose of forcing the government to the table.

“The minister has promised us that all our demands will be considered at a meeting, and therefore we have decided to suspend the agitation for now,” he said, making clear that the protest had only been paused, not withdrawn.

Pawar also announced the formation of a committee including farmer leaders and political representatives, who will participate in the government-convened meeting alongside various farmer organisations to press their demands.

The Maharashtra Cabinet, earlier this month, approved the Rs 36,585-crore Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar farm loan waiver scheme, extending relief to an estimated 55.72 lakh farmers across the state. The Opposition claimed that the stringent qualification conditions under the scheme, to start from June 20, mean many farmers will fall outside its ambit.