Nanded, Nov 2 (PTI) Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has warned that moneylenders, microfinance companies and banks would face murder charges if a drought-hit farmer dies by suicide due to harassment.
The government will stand firmly behind farmers and provide all possible assistance, Shinde said on Sunday, urging cultivators not to lose hope during the agrarian crisis.
He was addressing a gathering during the inauguration of a 100-bed sub-district hospital at Wadi Budruk in Nanded district.
The deputy CM warned financial institutions and recovery agents against harassing farmers for loan repayment, stressing that strict action would be taken against coercive recovery practices.
“Microfinance companies, banks and moneylenders should not harass the farmers who are in distress. If they do, they will not be spared. If any farmer dies by suicide due to harassment, murder cases will be registered,” he said.
The warning came days after a farmer was found dead inside the office of a finance company in Nanded. The farmer’s family alleged that he had borrowed Rs 10,000, but the finance company was demanding Rs 70,000.
Shinde said his party, Shiv Sena, will also take responsibility for the marriage of farmers’ daughters.
He further said the state government had decided to extend immediate financial assistance of Rs 5,000 to farmers before Diwali.
“This Rs 5,000 aid is immediate help. The rest will be done as per (crop loss) surveys. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah have also said that they will stand with the farmers of Maharashtra,” he said.
The state government has declared drought in 304 of 358 tehsils where Trigger-1 and Trigger-2 systems have been activated during the 2026 Kharif season. Trigger-1 and Trigger-2 are two successive stages used to determine whether an area is drought-affected and how severe the drought is.
“Do not lose courage or take any extreme step. The government stands firmly with you in this difficult time,” Shinde said, assuring farmers that they would not be left to fend for themselves.
The deputy CM said the 100-bed hospital at Wadi Budruk will provide affordable and quality healthcare to farmers, labourers and economically weaker sections in rural areas. He asked Health Minister Prakash Abitkar to ensure CT scan and dialysis facilities at the hospital at the earliest.
A 500-bed state-of-the-art building for Shri Guru Gobind Singhji District Hospital in Nanded would also be constructed with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank, he said.
Abitkar said cancer treatment facilities would also be made available in Nanded through the ‘Maha Care’ initiative with support from the Tata Memorial Trust.
Former state chief minister and MP Ashok Chavan said the proposed 500-bed district hospital and the newly inaugurated sub-district hospital would significantly strengthen healthcare infrastructure in Nanded and neighbouring districts. PTI COR NR GK
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