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Maharashtra

Maha govt awaits high-level committee report on making farmers free from debt trap

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Mumbai, Feb 27: Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil on Friday said that to address the recurring cycle of debt, the state government has established a high-level committee on October 30, 2025.

The committee is tasked with recommending both short-term and long-term measures to free farmers from the “debt trap.”

In a written reply to a question raised by members Shiv Sena-UBT leader Bhaskar Jadhav, BJP leader Prashant Thakur and others, the minister informed the state Assembly that the committee has yet to submit its final report but it is currently processing data from banks regarding agricultural loans as of June 2025 and arrears as of September 30, 2025 and records of farmers who consistently repaid loans over the last five years.

The Minister noted that out of an expected 54.63 lakh loan accounts, data for 52.80 lakh accounts has been received and is currently being analysed via computer processing.

Minister Patil said that over 6,00,000 farmers are still waiting for benefits from the 2017 loan waiver scheme. Out of 50.60 lakh eligible farmers, 44.04 lakh have received benefits. The government confirmed that the process to extend benefits to the remaining 6.56 lakh farmers is currently underway. In the case of 2019 crop loan waiver scheme, he stated that it has seen higher completion rates, with 32.29 lakh farmers out of 32.42 lakh eligible beneficiaries already receiving waivers.

Under the Mahatma Phule scheme, 14.50 lakh farmers who underwent Aadhaar authentication have received incentive grants for regular loan repayment.

According to the minister, in light of the heavy rain and floods during the Kharif 2025 season, the government has issued directives to the State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC) and district banks.

“These instructions include restructuring of cooperative crop loans in affected talukas. Besides, a one-year stay on the recovery of agriculture-related loans to provide immediate breathing room for distressed farmers,” he said.

The minister dismissed allegations of a fund shortage, noting that on December 3, 2025, it approved the computer system for the 2017 scheme’s continued implementation.

A fund of Rs 500 crore was sanctioned during the Winter Session of 2025. Furthermore, the government has requested a budget of Rs 5,175.51 crore for the 2026-27 financial year to ensure the continuity of these welfare programs.

The minister’s response comes a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in his reply to debate on the Governor’s address on Thursday said a dedicated committee has been formed to study the loan waiver process and its report is currently awaited. He assured the House that the government would fulfil its promise at the appropriate time.

Highlighting the lessons learned from previous crop loan waiver schemes, CM Fadnavis pointed out significant irregularities especially with regard to banking discrepancies. “In past loan waivers, the government has noticed that banks often provide incorrect account information. Some even revive old, dormant accounts to siphon off government funds.

To prevent such fraud, the state is developing a 100 per cent ‘Agri-Stack’. This will serve as a comprehensive digital record of agriculture, integrating farmer registration data, land ownership records, 7/12 extract reports and Aadhaar-linked verification, he said.

By consolidating these data points, the government aims to ensure that the benefits of the loan waiver reach only the genuine and intended beneficiaries.

Maharashtra

‘Won’t leave protest site until new FIR lodged’: Congress leaders support Rahul Gandhi’s sit-in

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Congress leaders, who have been accompanying Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi during his sit-in outside a Delhi police station on Friday, asserted that the agitation will continue till the police registers a fresh First Information Report (FIR) as sought by a purported pellet-gun victim.


LoP Gandhi, who was later joined by Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is staging the sit-in outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police at Delhi’s Parliament Street Police Station, protesting the alleged refusal of the police to register an FIR on a complaint by a student, Sahil Lochab, who the Congress claimed, suffered pellet-gun injuries during last month’s protests demanding education reforms at Jantar Mantar.


Speaking to reporters, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said: “His (Lochab’s) lawyer has demanded the registration of an FIR. This is not some general FIR but rather a strictly defined one, concerning the illegal manner in which police action took place (against Sahil), where pellet guns were used.”Maintaining that their demand has not been accepted yet, he said: “Discussions must be going on. They must have spoken to the Home Secretary, they must have spoken to the Commissioner of Police, Delhi, and ultimately, they have to speak to the Home Minister. But so far, nothing has been conveyed to us.”

“Rahul ji is absolutely clear: Until an FIR is registered, and a new FIR registration number is given, we will not leave from here,” he asserted.Admitting that a general FIR regarding complaints against the alleged police action during the July 20 Parliament march has been registered, Ramesh specified that the pellet gun victim has sought a new FIR.”It is completely unacceptable and condemnable that the BJP is viewing the matter through the lens of polarisation.”Congress MP Kishori Lal Sharma also took part in the agitation.

“This is a very shameful matter. The democratic right of an ordinary citizen states that if any injustice is done to him, an FIR should be registered. But they are not even registering that as the government is scared,” Sharma remarked while speaking to IANS.”The Leader of the Opposition had to come here… Does any investigation take place without registering an FIR? Why is the government scared about the truth coming out regarding who ordered the use of pellet guns? The Home Minister didn’t come to the Parliament and FIRs are also not being registered,” he said.

Congress leader Mukul Wasnik, who was also present at the site, said: “Our fight will continue till the government reveals the truth regarding who ordered the firing of pellet guns on students.”Meanwhile, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari told reporters in Uttar Pradesh that Rahul Gandhi has gone to “secure the right of a victim”.

“The pellet gun was fired on the 20th (of July). Today, it has been over a month, yet no FIR has been filed so far. So, Rahul Gandhi went to file an FIR to seek justice in accordance with the laws of India. Under Indian law—and anywhere in the world—filing an FIR is every victim’s absolute right. He went there to secure the right of a victim, and all of us stand with him in this struggle,” he said.Further, he accused the Centre of “shielding the accused”.In Rajasthan, Congress leader Sachin Pilot said: “Rahul Gandhi is making every effort to ensure that those people get justice…The youths who were hit by pellet guns…Everyone has the right to seek justice…”

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Maharashtra

Muharram Fayyaz’s Conspiracy Impacts Eid Milad-un-Nabi ProcessionPolice Alert on Niyaz, Langar, Traffic Rules & Safety

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Public Celebration of Eid-e-Milad Notification Issued on 16th September

The effect of Muharram Fayyaz’s poisonous conspiracy on the Eid Milad-un-Nabi procession
Police’s view on the distribution of food and langar, appeal to adhere to the rules, police and scholars advise in the important meeting of the Khilafat Committee to avoid rush driving including triple seats and superstitions


In view of the Mumbai Eid Milad-un-Nabi (peace be upon him) procession, the Mumbai Police has issued an alert. The poisonous conspiracy of Fayyaz Premji will also affect the procession this year in Muharram-ul-Haram, so the police will be keeping an eye on the distribution of food and langar in the procession. Along with this, the police have appealed to the procession administration and the participants of the procession to refrain from distributing edible items, food and water because it is very difficult to trace and trace who has distributed these items.

Therefore, now the police stations will also register those organizations that distribute food items. This kind of view was expressed by Additional Commissioner Central Region Vikram Di Mane in the Khilafat Committee meeting. He said that it is necessary to take care of the rules and regulations in the procession. If someone If he violates this, action will be taken against him. DJs are completely banned and therefore action will be taken against those who bring DJs. It is the duty of the organizers to explain to those who bring DJs because later they have to be removed and bad moods arise.

Additional Commissioner Shalish South Region said that although the rules and regulations are taken care of in the procession, but despite this, there is a need for effective changes in it. Similarly, the length of the flags and trucks in the procession should also be fixed. Last year, there was a problem near the Parsi statue standing in this matter. In this important meeting of the Khilafat Committee, Hazrat Maulana Moinuddin Ashraf Al-Mu’rif Moin Mian also appealed to the youth to avoid un-Islamic matters and superstitions in the procession, to avoid triple riding on motorcycles and violating other rules, and to avoid revelry. He said that we celebrate the birth anniversary of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

In this, we should take care that no one’s feelings are hurt in this procession and heart-wrenching slogans should be avoided. If anyone is found involved in un-Islamic behavior, the administration and the police will take action against him. The participants of the procession should also keep this in mind that the rules and regulations have been fixed and the guiding principles must be followed. In this meeting, Khilafat Committee Working President Sarfaraz Arzoo also addressed the gathering and informed the attendees about the history of Khilafat. In this meeting, MLA Amin Patel, Manoj Jamsatkar, Javed Jinja and Corporator also addressed the gathering. Senior police officers and Senior Police Inspector ACP Tanveer Sheikh were also present in the meeting.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: QR-code collar strap for identification and digital registration of vaccinated stray dogs, BMC’s technology-based initiative

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Mumbai The Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has launched a technology-based initiative to use QR coded reflective collars for stray dogs. These collars will facilitate identification of stray dogs that have undergone anti-rabies vaccination and sterilization, as well as enable their digital registration and tracking. In this regard, an agreement was signed between BMC and Ridlan AI Foundation at the BMC headquarters today (August 20, 2026). The event was attended by Deputy Commissioner (Special) Vinay Vijpute, Head of Veterinary Health Department Dr. Kaleem Pasha Pathan, and Akshay Ridlan of Ridlan AI Foundation, along with other officials and staff of the Veterinary Health Department. As per the directions of the High Court. With the objective of animal welfare in mind, various measures are being implemented under the guidance of BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide. Led by Ashwini Bhide and Additional Municipal Commissioner (City) Prajakta Laungare, these initiatives include stray dog ​​management, Animal Birth Control (ABC) and anti-rabies measures. Moreover, to achieve the broader goal of making Mumbai rabies-free by 2030, the corporation is strengthening field-level surveillance and management through the use of technology and digital information systems. This initiative has been taken as part of these efforts. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) conducts a massive anti-rabies vaccination drive for stray dogs every year. Earlier, vaccinated dogs were identified with coloured ink or other temporary markings. However, as these markings started fading or disappearing over time, long-term identification and monitoring became difficult. The initiative to use reflective collars equipped with QR codes will enable a more sustainable, systematic and technology-enabled mechanism for identifying dogs that have undergone vaccination and sterilization. As per the established data access protocol, the recorded information about a specific dog can be retrieved through QR tags, facilitating more effective monitoring of vaccination, sterilization, and health interventions. This digital system will support evidence-based planning, prevent duplication of necessary interventions, enhance field-level surveillance, and strengthen coordination between BMC, animal welfare organizations, veterinary teams, and other stakeholders. In the future, this digital registry can serve as a key source of information for Mumbai’s long-term rabies eradication strategy. Moreover, this initiative has immense importance from a public health perspective. Access to reliable and up-to-date information on vaccination and deworming coverage will help identify gaps in service, improve follow-up measures, and strengthen efforts to eradicate rabies. According to the municipal administration, this digital registry will help improve coordination between animal welfare and public health systems, thus reinforcing the broader goal of reducing human deaths from dog-transmitted rabies.

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