Maha Congress demands drought declaration, Rs 50,000 per hectare aid for farmers
Sapkal accuses BJP-led Mahayuti government of failing to take concrete steps despite discussing the situation in cabinet meetings
Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal on Saturday demanded that the state government immediately declare a drought, provide Rs 50,000 per hectare to affected farmers and announce a blanket farm loan waiver amid prolonged dry spells and crop losses in several parts of the state.
Sapkal said some areas had gone without rain for nearly one-and-a-half months, leaving standing crops withered in the fields. He accused the BJP-led Mahayuti government of failing to take concrete steps despite discussing the situation in cabinet meetings.
“The government should declare a drought immediately and deposit Rs 50,000 per hectare into farmers’ bank accounts and announce a complete loan waiver,” Sapkal said, warning that Congress would oppose the movement of ministers across the state if immediate action was not taken.
He also urged the government to consider cloud seeding and provide financial assistance before Dasara, saying farmers could not afford to wait for relief.
Sapkal criticised the government’s spending priorities, alleging that Rs 350 crore was being spent on CCTV installations for the Kumbh Mela while assistance to farmers was being delayed. He also alleged that guardian ministers had not visited farmers affected by the dry spell.
The demands come as the state government itself has acknowledged a drought-like situation in several districts. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said on Saturday that a preliminary assessment would be completed within a week, followed by crop surveys and immediate assistance. He also said arrangements were being made for drinking water, fodder and additional evening power supply for farmers.
Sapkal separately criticised celebrations marking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on 17 September, arguing that such celebrations were inappropriate while farmers and others were facing hardship. He also questioned appeals to people to light oil lamps on the occasion.
On the electoral front, Sapkal accused the Election Commission of favouring the BJP and alleged that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise could deprive people of their voting rights. These were political allegations made by Sapkal; he did not provide evidence for them in the remarks reported here.
His comments came a day after NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar also urged the Maharashtra government to declare a drought and provide Rs 50,000 per hectare to affected farmers, along with a farm loan waiver and fresh crop loans.
With PTI inputs