Cutting Costs

The revenue minister’s tough new rules will significantly reduce the number of beneficiaries of farm loan waivers

- Kiran D.Tare

Devendra Fadnavis’s announcement of a ‘blanket loan waiver’ is unlikely to douse any fires in Maha­rashtra. State revenue minister Chandrakant Patil is already talking of ‘filters’ that will deny a significant chunk of farmers any benefit. Heading an empo­wered group of ministers tasked with finalising the terms of the loan waiver, Patil says farmers who own four­wheelers, families where a member has a government job and those defaulting on property taxes and power bills won’t be eligible. “There is a demand to keep the rich farmers out. We’ll soon come up with a detailed plan,” he says.