Maharashtra Assembly: Over 23,000 farmer suicides have taken place since 2009, says Devendra Fadnavis

File image of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. PTI[/caption]"The Congress-NCP government only gave out Rs 7,000 crore in packages for farmers, but in the past 30 months, we have given more than Rs 31,000 crore for farmers. The Opposition is only making political demands and after the defeat in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, legislative council and zilla parishad elections, the Opposition parties are only pulling stunts," he alleged.During the present government's tenure, the numbers of farmer suicides have been 3,228 (in 2015) and 3,500 (in 2016). And so, between 2009 and 2016, more than 23,000 farmers have killed themselves in the state.For the fifth consecutive day, members of the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP have been trying to stall proceedings — on two separate occasions for half an hour at a time — by demanding loan waivers to farmers. The chief minister made a statement in the Assembly that while the state government was ready to give loan waivers, he wanted to focus on other remedies to help the farmers. "The Opposition party is responsible for the mess with loan waivers. They are only using it to play politics. But, I assure the House that I will lead the delegation of members from the BJP and Shiv Sena and meet the Union finance minister and agriculture minister at an appropriate time," he said.In his statement, Fadnavis clarified that in the state, the the actual amount to be waived is Rs 30,500 crore. "So if we provide loan waivers to all the farmers, the burden on the state is Rs 30,500 crore," said the chief minister, "On the other hand, the total expenses of the state are Rs 2.57 lakh crore — salary and pension expenses account for around Rs 1.32 lakh crore. but in the past 30 months, the Central government has given Rs 19,000 crore for drought-relief; and for other things, we gave Rs 11,500 crore. So we have already given Rs 31,000 crore for agriculture sector. But the Congress-NCP government had given only Rs 7,000 crore, but after the loan waiver in 2009, the number of farmers suicides is increasing drastically."