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By:

Abhijit Mulye

21 August 2024 at 11:29:11 am

Fadnavis writes off Rs 48,000 crore

Mumbai: In a clear indication that the Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to keep the state’s agrarian base happy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unleashed yet another massive populist measure. Hot on the heels of relaxing the eligibility criteria to ensure a blanket farm loan waiver, the Chief Minister announced a sweeping Rs 48,000 crore waiver on the pending electricity bills of farmers across the state. Addressing a ‘Krutadnyata Sohala’ (gratitude ceremony)...

Fadnavis writes off Rs 48,000 crore

Mumbai: In a clear indication that the Maharashtra government is leaving no stone unturned to keep the state’s agrarian base happy, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has unleashed yet another massive populist measure. Hot on the heels of relaxing the eligibility criteria to ensure a blanket farm loan waiver, the Chief Minister announced a sweeping Rs 48,000 crore waiver on the pending electricity bills of farmers across the state. Addressing a ‘Krutadnyata Sohala’ (gratitude ceremony) organized by the BJP Kisan Morcha at Mumbai’s Yashwantrao Chavan Pratishthan on Wednesday, Fadnavis declared that farmers using agricultural pumps of up to 7.5 horsepower will see their historical electricity dues completely wiped out. The announcement was met with the traditional sounding of the Tutari and thunderous applause from hundreds of farmers who had gathered from every corner of the state. The Chief Minister framed the mega-sop as a necessary step to “wipe the farmers’ slate clean,” enabling them to write a new chapter of prosperity. Calculated Pitch The timing and scale of the announcement underscore a government that is boldly embracing populist economics to solidify its political footprint in rural Maharashtra. While Fadnavis maintained that these decisions were taken purely in the interest of the farmers—pointing out that the original loan waiver was announced when no elections were in sight—the political undertones were unmistakable. Taking a sharp dig at the opposition, the Chief Minister accused rival parties of running “political shops” in the name of farmer agitations without understanding the government’s genuine intent. Asserting his grassroots connection, Fadnavis proudly claimed, “I do not make decisions sitting in my house. I am a farmer myself, a man of the soil.” He openly defended the government’s recent move to strip away the stringent conditions attached to the blanket farm loan waiver, signaling that his administration will not hesitate to clear bureaucratic hurdles if it means putting money directly into the hands of the rural voter. Balancing Sops Even as he rained freebies, the Chief Minister attempted to balance the populist optics with a dose of economic pragmatism. He acknowledged that handing out repeated loan waivers is a symptom of deep-rooted agrarian distress, not a permanent cure. Pointing to the Rs 95,000 crore in aid currently being pumped into the agricultural sector by the state and central governments, Fadnavis outlined his administration’s shift toward an investment-driven agricultural model. He championed the success of schemes like ‘Jalyukt Shivar’ and ‘Magel Tyala Shettale’ (farm ponds on demand), claiming these initiatives have already empowered farmers to harvest multiple crops a year. Addressing the core issue of farming costs, he noted that the government already subsidises power to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore annually. By coupling this with a push for solar pumps and solar agricultural feeders, he promised that 100 percent of the state’s farmers would receive uninterrupted daytime electricity by the end of the year. Infra Dream Looking beyond immediate financial relief, the Chief Minister laid out a grandiose vision to permanently drought-proof Maharashtra’s most vulnerable regions. A staggering Rs 6 lakh crore infrastructure pipeline is being planned to ensure the next generation never witnesses a drought. Fadnavis detailed ambitious river-linking projects, including the Wainganga-Nalganga link, to divert excess floodwaters to parched regions. The state plans to construct 24 new dams and raise the height of 16 existing ones to ensure not a single district in Vidarbha faces water scarcity. Furthermore, massive engineering feats are on the drawing board to divert 200 TMC of floodwater from Western Maharashtra to Marathwada, and lift 275 TMC of wasted water from the Ulhas basin to quench the thirst of North Maharashtra and Marathwada. By marrying immediate, massive debt relief with long-term infrastructure promises, the Fadnavis administration is aggressively cementing its pro-farmer narrative. As the Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium echoed with whistles and cheers, it became highly evident that the government’s strategy of pairing mega populist waivers with big-ticket rural dreams is striking a powerful chord with the state’s agrarian voters.

India's Recycling Revolution Left Its Workers Behind

The workers who have sustained urban recycling systems for decades remain excluded from the benefits of the very circular economy they helped build.

In continuation of my last week’s article, the introduction and subsequent strengthening of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) framework were expected to create significant opportunities for waste pickers. These workers already recover and channel a substantial proportion of post-consumer plastic waste into recycling streams.


In practice, however, EPR implementation has largely bypassed and marginalised the informal waste management sector.


The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs' Circular Economy Action Plan (2023) emphasises technological innovation, digital tracking systems and public-private partnerships. However, it does not contain adequate provisions for the systematic inclusion of informal waste pickers.


This is a significant gap, considering that their labour forms the backbone of urban recycling systems across the country.


Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs), which coordinate collection and recycling activities on behalf of producers, have overwhelmingly partnered with mechanised recycling facilities, formal aggregators and corporate waste management firms.


As a result, waste pickers—despite their long-standing contribution to resource recovery—remain largely excluded from the benefits generated by the EPR regime.


By marginalising waste pickers, the circular economy narrative risks becoming little more than greenwashing, where environmental claims obscure persistent social inequalities and labour exclusions.


Without meaningful inclusion of these workers, the transition to a circular economy cannot be considered truly equitable or sustainable.


The responsibility for integrating informal waste workers into formal waste management systems has already been recognised in Indian law.


Rule 15(z) of the Municipal Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, places a clear obligation on Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Village Panchayats to identify, organise and integrate waste pickers and recyclers into municipal solid waste management systems.


The rule requires local authorities to facilitate the formation of self-help groups, cooperatives and other authorised entities. It also mandates the participation of waste pickers in door-to-door collection and source segregation activities.


In addition, local bodies are required to issue identity cards and provide access to safety equipment, healthcare facilities, social security benefits and training programmes.


These measures are intended to support the transition of waste pickers and recyclers into the formal economy while recognising their critical role in waste management.Despite these statutory obligations, implementation remains weak across many cities.


Urban local bodies often prefer awarding waste management contracts to private companies that present themselves as technologically advanced and professionally managed service providers. These firms promise scientific waste management through mechanised collection vehicles, material recovery facilities, waste-to-energy technologies and sanitary landfills. As a result, municipal authorities frequently perceive informal waste pickers as inefficient, unorganised and incompatible with modern waste management systems.


This preference for corporate contractors has often displaced existing informal collection networks, undermining both the livelihoods of waste pickers and the broader goal of inclusive waste management.


Private contractors often claim exclusive rights over designated service areas and prohibit waste pickers from collecting recyclable materials within those territories. Consequently, individuals who have depended on waste collection and recycling for decades can suddenly lose access to their primary source of income.


While policy discourse increasingly celebrates circularity, resource efficiency and sustainability, the very workers who have long practised these principles through reuse, repair and recycling remain excluded from formal recognition and economic benefits.


A genuinely inclusive circular economy requires more than technological innovation and private-sector participation. It must also ensure the meaningful integration, protection and empowerment of informal waste pickers whose labour has sustained urban recycling systems for decades. Will continue next week. Till then, have a great weekend!


(The writer is an environmentalist. Views personal.)

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