Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that FIRs will be registered against banks which refuse loans to farmers based on their credit scores.

“Even after giving us assurance, banks ask for credit score of farmers before giving them loans. This will not be tolerated; we will file FIRs against banks who refuse loans to farmers based on their CIBIL score. We have asked banks to inform their branches regarding this,” Fadnavis said while speaking at the State Level Bankers Committee meeting, chaired by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

The purpose of the meet was to discuss the problems faced by farmers over crop loans in kharif season.

Notably, the CIBIL score is a measure of one’s ability to borrow from banks, NBFCs and financial institutions.

During the meeting, officials said that it was decided that priority should be given to the strengthening of district cooperative banks and primary agricultural credit institutions in the state.

“The annual credit plan of the state for the year 2024-25 of around Rs 41 lakh crore presented by the committee was approved. It was also directed that coordinating officers from RBI and NABARD should be sent for the district level bank advisory committee meeting,” an official said.

“Agriculture is the strength of Maharashtra and the government stands firmly behind the farmers. Banks should also support farmers in times of trouble,” CM Shinde said. “In such a case, we have stood firmly behind them. We have provided financial assistance of over twice that of NDRF to farmers in crisis. We have also increased the hectare limit and given crop insurance for one rupee.”

“If the banks do not support them financially during the crisis, they have to raise money in other ways, which forces them to take extreme steps like suicide. We will live only if the farmer lives,” the CM added.