Mushrif blames Ladki Bahin for delay in rolling out farm loan waiver
'We had promised to waive crop loans taken by farmers but the state government is spending ₹46,000 crore a year on our Ladki Bahin (scheme),' Mushrif said while addressing a public meeting in Kolhapur on Sunday.
Under the scheme, introduced in July last year ahead of the assembly poll, nearly 24.6 million women from low-income families are paid a monthly dole of ₹1,500. The state government spends around ₹3,800 crore per month on the scheme, which has affected expenditure on other welfare programmes and compelled several ministers to speak out against its impact on the state exchequer.
'Despite the financial constraints, the government has introduced several measures to help the farming community,' Mushrif told the gathering.
'I have a different point of view on farm loan waivers,' he went on to say. As soon as the government promises a waiver, farmers stop repaying loans, putting banks in trouble. The government should instead double grants given to farmers who honestly repay their loans to help them emerge from crises, he said.
On July 13, Mushrif's colleague in the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and sports and youth welfare minister Datta Bharne had said that funds were delayed because of the Ladki Bahin scheme. Chhagan Bhujbal, another NCP leader and minister, too had raised the issue, saying the scheme had placed immense financial strain on the exchequer.
Before them, Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat had objected to the diversion of ₹410 crore to the scheme from the social justice department.
The Ladki Bahin scheme was credited as a major reason behind the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance's landslide win in the 2024 assembly elections. However, with an estimated revenue deficit of ₹45,892 crore in the financial year 2025-26, the government is now finding it difficult to make budgetary allocations for various other populist schemes announced ahead of the assembly elections. Consequently, it has postponed implementing its poll promise to increase the monthly allowance under the scheme from ₹1,500 to ₹2,100.
'If I were CM'
Eyebrows were raised in political corridors on Sunday when Mushrif said that he would double the grants given to farmers who repaid loans on time if he became the chief minister some day.
'By God's grace, if at all I become the chief minister some day, I will double the grant to farmers who are honestly repaying loans. If they are getting a sum of ₹50,000 I will increase the amount to ₹1 lakh. This will help build a habit of repayment of loans among farmers,' he told the gathering at Kolhapur.
The reference to chances of him becoming chief minister caused an uproar as his political boss and NCP chief Ajit Pawar has had the same desire for a long time.
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