The outlay for the scheme, which aims to write offcrop loans up to Rs 2 lakh pending as on September 30, 2019,for the current fiscal was 15,000 crore. The budget for 2020-21 has provided Rs 7,000 crore for the scheme.
Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who also holds thefinance portfolio, presented the budget for 2020-21.
So far, a sum of Rs 9,035 crore has been transferredto the accounts of farmers, Pawar told the Assembly.
Announcing two additional schemes, he said farmershaving arrears of more than Rs 2 lakh, taken during the periodfrom April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2019, will be given a Rs 2lakh benefit with respect to loan outstanding as on September30, 2019 as a one-time settlement.
Under this scheme, the state government will pay Rs 2lakh to eligible farmers after the outstanding amount above Rs2 lakh is paid by them.
Farmers who will make regular payments till June 30,2020, will get a benefit of Rs 50,000 for the crop loan takenin 2018-19, and if the amount taken by the farmer is less thanRs 50,000, then he he will be given an incentive equal to theloan amount taken.
Pawar said the Centre had approved only Rs 956.13crore to be paid as compensation to farmers who faced croploss due to monsoonal floods in July-August last year anduntimely rains during October-November.
The finance minister said the state had demanded Rs14,496 crore for the purpose from the Centre and maintainedthe Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government had provided assistanceto farmers from its own coffers.
The budget has also made an outlay of Rs 3,254 crorefor agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy development andfisheries, while a special programme, called 'Chief MinisterWater Conservation Scheme', will be implemented at a cost ofRs 450 crore.
Pawar told the House lack of repairs and maintenancewas affecting water storage, adding that creation of 8,000water conservation works will rejuvenate reservoirs, increaseground water levels and raise irrigation capacity.
A subsidy scheme, of 80 per cent to small and marginalfarmers and 75 per cent to multiple land holders, for dripirrigation for crops will be extended to across the state fromthe few talukas it is currently in place.
He said the government intended to bring sugarcaneunder drip irrigation system in the next three to four yearsby getting sugar mills to take part in the scheme, and givingrelief on interest to participating farmers.
A total of five lakh agricultural solar pumps will beset up over the next five years at a total cost of Rs 10,000crore, for which a provision of Rs 670 crore has been proposedin the 2020-21 budget. MR BNMRSY RSY