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Journalism of Courage
Even as Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that farmers affected by heavy rainfall in several districts of Maharashtra will be compensated before Diwali, the Opposition on Wednesday continued with its demand of declaration of a wet drought in the state. The government maintained that there is no official provision of declaring a wet drought.
“We have already released Rs 2215 crore for 31.64 lakh farmers. We have also given clear instructions to the state administration to not get entangled in the technical issues but instead work to release as much money as possible for the affected farmers,” said Fadnavis, while on his inspection tour of flood-hit Solapur district.
The Chief Minister also visited Dharashiv and Latur districts which were ravaged by floods following heavy rain. Deputy Chief Ministers Ajit Pawar and Eknath Shinde too visited the flood-affected districts separately and took stock of the situation.
Even as the CM claimed to have released Rs 2,215 crore as compensation to farmers, the Opposition said it is a meagre amount.
“First of all, the amount released is not the for the September rains. It is for the losses caused in July and August. Secondly, if 31.5 lakh farmers are given Rs 2215 crore, it means that each farmers will get merely Rs 3400 per acre or Rs 8500 per hectare. Is it fair? Neither the CM nor his two deputies are talking about the demand for Rs 50,000 per hectare. The government must release that amount,” said Nationalist Congress Party (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar.
Congress leader Vijay Wadettiwar said the state government had already put the farmers in trouble by not declaring farm loan waiver. “The negligible amount announced by the state government is nothing but a cruel joke on farmers. Our demand is that a wet drought should be announced at the earliest,” said Wadettiwar.
When asked about the Opposition’s demand, Fadnavis said all possible financial help and compensation will be extended to farmers. “We have given clear instruction to the administration to loosen the norms and extend help. The money will not be a problem,” he said.
Two days of incessant rains in Marathwada and other parts of the state have affected approximately 28 lakh hectares under cultivation. In July-August, heavy rainfall caused damage to crops on around 15.45 lakh hectares. The total damage to the area under kharif in the last three months is approximately 43 lakh hectare, which is around 30 percent of the total kharif crop (excluding sugarcane) for 2025-26.
Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena came under criticism from the Opposition after the party brought aid to Dharashiv with his photo pasted on them. Around 50 trucks with aid material privately procured by the Shiv Sena reached Dharashiv on Wednesday with photos of deputy CM Ekanth Shinde and Dharashiv’s Guaradian Minister Pratap Sarnaik.
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