Proposal for Tribal Farmers Outside Institutional Loan System: Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has called for a comprehensive proposal to support the 9,698 tribal farmers in the state who have been excluded from the institutional loan system for various reasons. This proposal aims to effectively communicate and implement state government schemes for the all-round development of tribal communities, integrating them into the mainstream of development. Pawar also directed that increased management grants be provided to tribal cooperatives working towards the upliftment of these communities.

A meeting was held in the committee room of the Deputy Chief Minister’s ministry to address the demands of tribal development executive cooperatives. The meeting was attended by Deputy Speaker Narahari Jirwal, Minister for Cooperation Dilip Valse-Patil (via video conference), Minister for Tribal Development Dr. Vijayakumar Village, Additional Chief Secretary of Cooperative Department Anup Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary of Finance Department O.P. Gupta, Tribal Development Department Secretary Vijay Waghmare, and other officials.

Deputy Chief Minister Pawar emphasized that relief must be provided to tribal farmers who missed out on the benefits of the Central Government’s loan waiver in 2008, the State Government’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Shetkari Samman Yojana-2017, and the Mahatma Jotirao Phule Shetkari Karjmukti Yojana-2019. Since 2008, these 9,698 tribal members have been unable to access institutional loans due to non-waiver of their previous loans. During the state government’s loan waiver initiatives, funds were allocated by the tribal development department to assist these farmers, some of which remain unspent. Pawar suggested that the tribal development and cooperation departments jointly submit a comprehensive proposal to utilize these funds effectively.

Pawar further discussed the role of tribal working cooperative societies in matters such as paddy purchase, loan disbursement, and loan recovery. He recommended that these societies be classified based on the quality of their work and be provided with increased management grants to strengthen their operations. Encouragement and support should be given to these societies according to their classification to enhance their effectiveness in supporting tribal farmers.