Maharashtra Minister Clears Debt of Farmer Forced to Till Land Without Oxen

GG News Bureau
Latur, 5th July: In a compassionate gesture that has touched hearts across Maharashtra, Cooperation Minister Babasaheb Patil on Saturday cleared the outstanding loan of a 75-year-old debt-ridden farmer from Latur district whose video, showing him pulling a plough by himself, went viral on social media.

Ambadas Pawar, a resident of Hadolti village in Ahmedpur tehsil, owed ₹42,500 to the Hadolti Multi-purpose Cooperative Society. Unable to afford bullocks or rent a tractor for ₹2,500 a day, Pawar and his wife were forced to till their 2.5-acre plot manually, turning themselves into “human ploughs” — a moment captured in a widely shared video that drew widespread empathy and concern.

Moved by the plight of the elderly farmer, Minister Patil personally reached out and promised to repay Pawar’s pending crop loan. On Saturday, the minister visited Hadolti village and handed over the amount to cooperative society officials, instructing them to issue a loan clearance certificate in Pawar’s name.

“The government is committed to addressing the problems of farmers and is actively implementing welfare schemes to ease their financial burdens,” Patil said during his visit.

Pawar’s story had already sparked local and national attention. On Friday, members of the Krantikari Shetkari Sanghatana from Latur gifted Pawar a pair of bullocks in a celebratory procession, complete with music and dance.

Additionally, a charitable trust from Telangana extended support by providing a cheque of ₹1 lakh as direct financial assistance to the farmer and his wife.

The emotional outpouring of support for Ambadas Pawar has once again spotlighted the struggles of small and marginal farmers across India and the urgent need for systemic reforms and accessible credit solutions in the agricultural sector.