New Delhi: As Maharashtra faces a staggering debt of Rs 7.8 lakh crore, largely owing to the state government’s efforts to fulfill poll sops, the BJP-led Mahayuti government has gone ahead to recommend disbursal of loans to sugar cooperatives linked to legislators from the ruling alliance.
The Times of India reported that the cash-strapped Maharashtra government has recommended the National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) to extend loans amounting to Rs 1,104.6 crores to nine cooperative sugar factories, all of which have direct or indirect associations with prominent MLAs of the Mahayuti alliance.
“Loans from the NCDC require a state guarantee, which will add to the state’s liabilities,” the daily said.
The state’s finance department has already shown a fiscal deficit of around Rs 2 lakh crore in the run-up to the assembly elections and had expressed its inability to fulfill poll promises made by the Eknath Shinde government. However, with the Mahayuti alliance coming back to power under Devendra Fadnavis, the debt could rise to Rs 7.8 lakh crore if all the poll promises are fulfilled.
The NCDC loans that have now been recommended by the state government, thus, could snowball into a big political controversy. These loan recommendations to meet the working capital gap for cooperative sugar factories were originally sent last year but have now been revised by the Fadnavis government to allegedly suit the interests of the legislators who are part of Mahayuti.
Among the beneficiaries who can secure loans after the state government’s recommendations are Sharad Cooperative Sugar Factory, linked to MLA Rajendra Patil Yadravkar, Ajinkyatara Cooperative Sugar Factory, associated with PWD minister Shivendrasinh Raje Bhosale, Sadashivrao Mandlik Cooperative Sugar Factory in Kolhapur linked to former Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Mandlik, Chhatrapati Rajaram Cooperative Sugar Factory in Kolhapur, linked to BJP MLA Amal Mahadik, Kumbhi Kasari Cooperative Sugar Factory in Kolhapur’s Karveer that is linked to Shiv Sena MLA Chandradeep Narke.
Similarly, the NCDC was also given a go ahead in the cases of Ahmednagar’s Sahakar Maharishi Shankarrao Kolhe Cooperative Sugar Factory and Shri Ganesh Cooperative Sugar Factory. Kolhapur’s Vasantrai Desai Ajara Cooperative Sugar Factory that is associated with NCP leader and medical education minister Hasan Mushrif is also likely to receive the margin money loan.
