Latest news with #ManikraoKokate
NDTV
4 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
The Many Controversies Of Maharashtra Minister Who Played Rummy In Assembly
Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate, who was recently found playing rummy on his mobile phone in the state assembly, is no stranger to controversies. From making remarks on farmers to the powers of ministers, he found himself at the centre of several rows since the start of the year. Here is a list of controversies he stoked: January 21: Mr Kokate admitted corruption in implementation of government schemes but said there is no reason to discontinue it. "There have been some irregularities in the scheme but two to four percent corruption in any scheme does not mean that it should be closed," he said. February 14: The minister made headlines when he likened farmers to beggars while defending the Re 1 crop insurance scheme. "Even beggars do not take one rupee but the government is giving crop insurance of the same amount, and this is also being misused," he said. February 20: Mr Kokate and his brother Sunil Kokate were awarded two years in prison by a Nashik court on charges of submitting fake documents to get flats under a government quota between 1995 and 1997. A fine of Rs 50,000 was also imposed on each of them. The minister was granted bail, on a personal bond of Rs 15,000, just two hours after the verdict. February 24: The Agriculture Minister complained that ministers have no power, saying: "Now, the Chief Minister is also appointing PAs (personal assistants) and OSDs (officers on special duty). We have nothing in our hands." April 4: In another controversial comment, Mr Kokate alleged that the money disbursed through government schemes to farmers are used for events like weddings instead. "Farmers do not repay loans for five to 10 years while waiting for a waiver. The money received from agricultural schemes is not spent on the intended purposes but for engagement ceremonies and weddings. The farmers do not invest in a single rupee in farming," he said. July 20: A video of the minister playing rummy on his phone in Maharashtra went viral after the clip was shared by Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar. July 22: Mr Kokate kicked up a fresh storm when he said: "Actually, the government itself is a beggar, the government does not give a single rupee to the farmers but takes a rupee from them (for crop insurance) The government itself is a beggar, because it is taking Rs 1 from the farmers." In an attempt at damage control, he later said his statement was understood differently.
Hans India
5 days ago
- Business
- Hans India
Maha: Outstanding Agri loans to various banks surge to Rs 37,392 crore
Mumbai: Amid hope for a crop loan waiver decision by the MahaYuti government as promised ahead of assembly elections, the arrears towards agriculture loan repayable to banks as on June this year have been reported at Rs 37,392 crore. According to the data compiled by the state cooperation department, of the Rs 37,392 crore, the district central cooperative banks (DCCBs) have yet to recover arrears of Rs 15,492 crore, nationalised banks Rs 18,00 crore, regional rural banks Rs 800 crore and private banks Rs 3,000 crore. The increasing outstanding dues are adversely impacting the finances of these banks. Nearly 20.37 lakh bank accounts of farmers have outstanding dues. The department sources on Thursday hinted that the arrears due to non-repayment by farmers towards crop loan, short, medium and major loans are expected to grow further as the farmers expect an early decision on crop loan waiver. Further, the department sources said that farmers are not repaying the loans despite the appeal made by the Deputy Chief Minister, Ajit Pawar and Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate to clear their dues at the earliest without waiting for the announcement of crop loan waiver. The government, on the last day of the monsoon session on July 18, announced the establishment of a committee to look into the crop loan waiver issue and the present state of agricultural stress. Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil said, 'The government has set up a committee to study the crop loan waiver option. It is a matter of concern that even the financially sound farmers are not repaying the loan. The financial health of district central cooperation banks, which play a major role in the rural economy, is becoming delicate. They are expected to land in big financial trouble.' According to the cooperation department sources, crop loans worth Rs 70,000 crore on average are disbursed annually in the state. Of which, 65 per cent of loans are disbursed by nationalised banks and 35 per cent by district central cooperative banks. 'Financially sound farmers with large land holdings opt for loans from the nationalised banks, while farmers having small and marginal holdings take loans from district central cooperative banks.' Sources said that the financial condition of many district central cooperative banks, including Nashik, Wardha, and Nagpur district banks, has become fragile. Even the financially sound district central cooperative banks are likely to face similar financial problems if the arrears from farmers towards agriculture loans increase in future. 'The government provides agricultural loans at concessional interest rates. However, farmers are not in the mood to repay loans as they anxiously wait for a decision on the crop loan waiver. However, if the farmers continue to repay loans, then there is every possibility that the rural agricultural credit system may collapse,' warned sources from the cooperation department.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Farmers, oppn demand Kokate's resignation over string of controversies
Pune: Farmers' organisations and other social outfits, along with the opposition, have started mounting pressure on the state govt over Manikrao Kokate's resignation as agriculture minister. Protestors in some parts demanded his immediate sacking from the cabinet. After he was recently captured on video playing a game of cards when the assembly was in session, the minister landed in deeper controversy with his 'state govt is a beggar' remark on Tuesday sparking outrage among the farming community. Kokate, who represents Nashik's Sinnar assembly constituency, was responding to questions about his previous remarks that beggars do not accept Re 1 in alms but govt provides crop insurance for that amount. You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune He clarified, "Govt doesn't give Re 1 to the farmers, it takes Re 1 from them for crop insurance. So who is the beggar here? Govt is a beggar, and not the farmer. My statement was misconstrued." President of Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana Raju Shetti criticised govt for not dropping Kokate from the cabinet despite his controversial remarks. He said, "Nearly 20% farmers are not able to sow their fields and many more will have to spend more money on re-sowing due to inadequate rainfall. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like $30K Goes a Long Way in This Clementi Condo squarerooms Read More Undo Instead of providing relief to the distressed community, Kokate was playing an online game in the monsoon session. If he behaves irresponsibly, the chief minister and deputy chief ministers should take responsibility and remove him as agriculture minister." When the opposition targeted Kokate after his video surfaced on social media, he refused to resign and said he was ready to face an inquiry. While trying to clarify his position on Tuesday, the minister landed in more trouble when he said govt was a beggar. Welfare organisation Prahar's founder and former MLA Bachchu Kadu said, "This is probably the eighth or the ninth time that Kokate has made a controversial statement. It is quite shocking that he continues to be a minister. By calling govt a beggar, he has indirectly admitted that the state is facing a financial crisis. Either govt should respond to his statement or take action against him." Members of Maratha Kranti Morcha and NCP (SP)'s Pune unit demanded Kokate's resignation. Newly appointed NCP (SP) state president Shashikant Shinde said, "The farming community and the opposition want Kokate's resignation but he says he will not quit. It shows that the chief minister and deputy chief ministers have no control over their ministers." He added that when Congress-NCP was in govt, several ministers resigned on moral grounds after they faced allegations. "But, it looks like Mahayuti is starting a new trend of shielding its ministers," Shinde said.
NDTV
6 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
Who Is Manikrao Kokate: 5-Time MLA, Now At Centre Of Political Storm
Maharashtra's Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate is facing mounting political pressure and public criticism after two separate incidents this week. A viral video allegedly showing Mr Kokate playing a mobile card game during a legislative session, followed by his controversial remarks calling the state government a "beggar", has drawn sharp rebuke from opposition leaders. The twin controversies have put pressure on the ruling alliance, particularly the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, which Mr Kokate belongs to. The party does not endorse Mr Kokate's conduct, and a disciplinary action may follow, senior NCP leader Sunil Tatkare said. Who Is Manikrao Kokate? Manikrao Shivaji Kokate was born on September 26, 1957, in Somthana village, Sinnar, in Nashik, Maharashtra. He holds an LLB degree from the University of Pune. A seasoned politician with a career spanning over three decades, Mr Kokate has represented five different political parties: Congress, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena, BJP, and now NCP (Ajit Pawar), while maintaining a stronghold on the Sinnar Assembly Constituency, which he has won five times. He began his political career as a student activist with the NSUI. He gained early recognition by serving in local governance roles such as Chairman of the Sinnar Panchayat Samiti and President of the Nashik Zilla Parishad. He joined the Congress Party at a young age. After being denied a ticket by the newly formed NCP in 1999, he joined the Shiv Sena and won his first assembly election from Sinnar. He retained the seat in 2004. When Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane left the party to join Congress, Mr Kokate followed and rejoined the INC, winning the 2009 election from Sinnar on a Congress ticket. Ahead of the 2014 assembly elections, he switched to the BJP, but lost to Shiv Sena's Rajabhau Waje. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he ran as an Independent from Nashik but again lost to a Shiv Sena candidate. Later in 2019, Mr Kokate returned to the NCP and won the Sinnar Assembly seat for the fourth time. In the 2024 elections, now contesting from Ajit Pawar's NCP, he won (for the fifth time) against Uday Sangale of Sharad Pawar's NCP, with a margin of over 1.38 lakh. He was subsequently appointed the Agriculture Minister in the Maharashtra government. In February 2025, a Nashik court convicted Mr Kokate and his brother in a 1995 cheating and forgery case, involving the misuse of flats under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) housing quota. The court sentenced both to two years in jail and fined them Rs 50,000 each. Mr Kokate appealed the decision, and the sessions court granted a stay on the conviction and sentence, allowing him to retain his position as an MLA. Last week, a video clip surfaced showing Mr Kokate allegedly playing Junglee Rummy on his mobile phone during a legislative session on tribal dairy welfare. He denied the allegation, saying that the video was misleading and that he was only trying to close a YouTube pop-up ad, not playing a game. Shortly after, Mr Kokate stirred fresh outrage when he said, "The government is the beggar, not the farmers," while addressing irregularities in the Rs 1 crop insurance scheme. He later explained that over 5.5 lakh bogus applications had been received under the scheme, which were immediately cancelled during his tenure.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Maha min, who 'played rummy', now says 'govt is a beggar'
Manikrao Kokate NASHIK: Maharashtra's agriculture minister Manikrao Kokate, who 'played rummy', ignited a fresh controversy as he referred to govt as a "beggar" while explaining a previous remark, in Nashik on Tuesday. Kokate, who represents Nashik's Sinnar assembly constituency, was interacting with media persons, and was questioned about his previous remarks suggesting that even beggars do not accept Re 1 in alms now while govt provides crop insurance for that amount. He clarified, "Govt doesn't give Re 1 to the farmers, it takes Re 1 from them for crop insurance. So who is the beggar here? Govt is a beggar, and not the farmer. My statement was misconstrued then by the people. " Govt has now replaced the Re 1 crop insurance scheme with Prime Minister Crop Insurance Scheme. Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis called Kokate's comments "inappropriate". Speaking in Gadchiroli, he said, "We have taken corrective measures in the crop insurance scheme as we saw insurance companies benefitting and not farmers. We have taken steps to invest Rs 5,000 crore every year in the agriculture sector." NCP-SCP MP and party's working president Supriya Sule, too, condemned Kokate's remarks in a post on X. "It took the supreme sacrifice by 105 martyrs in the struggle for United Maharashtra and immense contribution by previous CMs and the people to make Maharashtra the most prosperous state in the country. Calling the state a 'beggar' is a disaster and an insult to them," she said. "There has never been an agriculture minister who behaved so insensitively towards farmers when there are so many burning issues. The portfolio should be handled by someone sensitive towards agriculture and farmers," Sule added.
