NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar toured drought-affected tehsils across Pune district, demanding a complete 100 percent farm loan waiver and urgent financial aid from the state government to alleviate agrarian distress. Interacting directly with farmers in Purandar and Baramati, the former Union Agriculture Minister urged immediate administrative intervention to prevent widespread economic collapse in the rural belt.
On-Ground Review in Drought-Hit Tehsils
Senior leader Sharad Pawar initiated an extensive review tour across drought-hit pockets of Pune district to assess the mounting agricultural damage caused by erratic rainfall and severe water scarcity. Beginning his visit in Purandar tehsil, Pawar walked through parched fields and interacted with distressed farmers, fruit growers, and rural laborers who have suffered massive crop losses.
During his interactions, local agriculturalists detailed the compounding crises of drying groundwater reserves, wilting orchards, and dwindling fodder stocks for livestock. Pawar observed that several tehsils, despite facing acute water shortages and agricultural failure, were left out of the state government’s official drought-assistance list, exacerbating the vulnerability of local farming communities.
Demands for 100% Farm Loan Waiver
Addressing farmers and local officials after his field inspections, Pawar strongly advocated for institutional debt relief to prevent distressed rural households from falling into insolvency. He demanded that the state government enact a comprehensive, 100 percent waiver on all agricultural and allied activity loans disbursed through nationalized banks, cooperative credit institutions, urban cooperative banks, and local credit societies.
Pawar outlined key components of the required financial assistance:
Comprehensive Debt Relief: Waiving personal agricultural loans, orchard maintenance credits, and loans taken by women's self-help groups (SHGs) across drought-impacted regions.
Direct Financial Aid: Supplying direct cash support of ₹1 lakh per hectare to affected crop and fruit growers, along with ₹25,000 for landless agricultural laborers.
Utility and Educational Relief: Fully waiving agricultural electricity bills, as well as school, college, and hostel fees for students residing in drought-notified zones.
Call for Administrative Action and Special Assembly Session
Beyond immediate financial relief, the veteran leader urged the state administration to relax operational criteria under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). He recommended expanding local public works within a three-kilometer radius of affected villages to provide steady employment and prevent distress migration.
Pawar confirmed that he has formally written to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, outlining a comprehensive multi-point memorandum of demands aimed at stabilizing the rural economy. He urged the state government to convene a special three-day session of the Maharashtra Legislature specifically to deliberate on the drought situation and pass emergency relief packages for farmers before the upcoming festive season.
Sustaining Pressure for Agricultural Welfare
Highlighting the critical role of timely state support, Pawar stated that rural communities require strong institutional backing to withstand natural calamities. He assured farmers that his party would continuously press the state leadership until all excluded drought-hit tehsils are brought under the official relief framework and granted full institutional assistance.