Even as parts of Maharashtra grapple with five years of drought, the state's Agriculture Minister, accompanied by 15 MLAs and officials are on a 'study tour' to Australia and New Zealand for two weeks to review how those countries handle loans to farmers. The cost of the tour has been paid half by the taxpayers while the other half is being paid for by the lawmakers themselves. While the state is reeling from drought and around 700 farmer suicides, is this study tour unpardonable insensitivity by the lawmakers?
