Fadnavis defends Ajit Pawar on crop loan waiver remarks says Dy CM stated govt position

Pandharpur, Mar 29 (PTI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday defended his deputy Ajit Pawar over a remark on crop loan waiver saying the latter had stated the "government's position".
Pawar, speaking at an event in Baramati in Pune on Friday, had said the current financial situation of the state does not allow for a crop loan waiver and asked farmers to pay instalments in time rather than wait for an announcement in this regard.
Asserting that "one can feign many things but not financial reality", Pawar, who holds the finance portfolio in the Fadnavis government, had said, "A crop loan waiver was promised in the poll manifesto. But today I want to tell farmers to pay the instalment of crop loans they have taken before March 31. Some farmers are not paying their loan instalments assuming the government will announce a waiver."
The state government will take a decision at the right time, the Deputy CM had said at Baramati while reiterating that the current financial situation does not allow for a crop loan waiver.
Asked about these comments, Fadnavis said Pawar has stated the government's position.
"He has never said it (crop loan waiver ) will never be done," Fadnavis asserted.
Earlier in the day, Deputy CM Eknath Shinde told reporters in Pune that the government will fulfil all promises made in the election manifesto.
"Whatever promises we have mentioned in the manifesto, we will fulfil them. Each and every promise will be honoured. We will not call it a printing mistake," Shinde, who heads Shiv Sena, told reporters when asked to comment on Pawar's remarks.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)