Congress demands drought declaration, Rs 50,000 per hectare for Maharashtra farmers

• Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal has demanded an immediate drought declaration, direct aid of Rs 50,000 per hectare and a blanket farm loan waiver.

• He accused the Mahayuti government of delaying relief as crops wither in parts of the state.

• Sapkal also criticised a birthday celebration call for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and alleged that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls could affect voting rights.

Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Saturday urged the state government to declare drought immediately, transfer Rs 50,000 per hectare to affected farmers and announce a blanket farm loan waiver.

Sapkal said some parts of Maharashtra had received no rain for more than six weeks and that standing crops were withering. He accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of discussing the crisis without taking decisions that would provide prompt relief. He also claimed that guardian ministers had failed to visit affected farmers.

Calling for assistance to reach farmers before Dasara, Sapkal warned that ministers could face public anger if the government did not act. He questioned the state’s spending priorities and criticised its decision not to pursue cloud seeding.

The demand comes amid concern over deficient rainfall in parts of Maharashtra. State officials have reported that 83 talukas across 19 districts went more than 20 days without rain. The government has said crop-loss assessments are needed before a formal drought declaration.

Sapkal separately criticised a call to light lamps for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday, saying celebrations were inappropriate when farmers and other citizens were facing hardship.

He also accused the Election Commission of favouring the ruling BJP and claimed that the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls threatened voting rights. Those were Sapkal’s allegations; he provided no evidence for them in the remarks reported here.

With IANS inputs