Kamal Nath Government to Withdraw All ‘Politically Motivated’ Cases Filed in MP in the Past

Bhopal: In yet another policy shift in Madhya Pradesh, the Kamal Nath-led Congress government in the state has decided to withdraw politically motivated cases, including those that were slapped on the farmers during the protests in the past.

“We have decided to withdraw politically motivated cases slapped on thousands of people in Madhya Pradesh,” said PC Sharma, minister for law and legislative affairs, after the cabinet meeting in Bhopal on Thursday evening.

“There are around 308 such cases pending in Bhopal alone. The total number of such cases in the state is in thousands and we would withdraw all these cases after due legal formalities,” said Sharma, adding that he himself is framed in one such case and another one is pending against his cabinet colleague Jitu Patwari who was also present on the occasion.

Asked if the government plans to also take back criminal cases slapped on thousands of farmers during the protests in the last few years, Sharma claimed that all such cases where innocents have been framed will be withdrawn.

“All such cases will be sent to the Home ministry by district collectors and in co-ordination with the law ministry, the cases would be withdrawn through courts,” he said.

A committee will be set up to compile the details of all these cases, said Sharma.

Giving clarity on the loan waiver announcement, Sports and Youth Welfare minister Jitu Patwari said the outstanding farm loans as on March 31, 2018 would be waived off and those who have paid their dues till December 12, 2018 would also benefit from the scheme.

After announcing farm loan waiver for farmers who had outstanding dues as on March 31, 2018, the MP government had later issued a fresh order extending the benefits till December 12. But it was not clear what the state government meant with the extension of the benefit.

“In all, around 55 lakh farmers would benefit in Madhya Pradesh,” Patwari said, adding that district collectors have been instructed to ensure that all pending cases of pensions and payments under the MGNREGS Act be disposed of at the earliest.

Any slackness in this regard could invite penal action for the collectors, said the minister.