Latur, Oct. 12 -- Maharashtra Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil has issued a formal apology for his recent remarks concerning farmers and loan waivers, expressing regret if his comments caused distress to agricultural communities.
The apology follows widespread political backlash over Patil's statement at a bank inauguration event in Chopda, Jalgaon district, where he had suggested that farmers had developed an "addiction" to loan waivers and questioned the long-term sustainability of such relief schemes.
Clarifying his remarks, Patil reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening rural economies through self-reliant models such as dairy cooperatives like Gokul Dudh Sangh in western Maharashtra, which provide steady income sources for farm...