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    Sharad Pawar to lead MPs’ delegation to PM seeking relief for rain-hit farmers

    Synopsis

    The distressed farmers are seeking relief from the government. Some of them said that the situation has turned so bad that if the government doesn’t come forward with a relief package, they will not be able even to take up sowing for the Rabi crops.

    2PTI
    MUMBAI: Heavy rains over the past few days in Maharashtra have caused heavy losses to farmers, while both the opposition and the government have started bickering over the modalities and a relief package for them. The natural calamity has not only damaged standing crops over 50 lakh hectares but also washed away top soil, thereby inflicting a long-term damage. The worst-hit regions include Marathwada, parts of western Maharashtra and the Khandesh region.

    This year the state witnessed good rains during the monsoon season. Even the traditionally drought-prone Marathwada region had fair amount of rains leading to hope of a bumper harvest among the farmers. However, all their hopes have come to a nought as heavy rains completely inundated their fields and destroyed standing crops like sugarcane, soybean, cotton, jowar, bajra, maize, etc.

    Now, the distressed farmers are seeking relief from the government. Some of them said that the situation has turned so bad that if the government doesn’t come forward with a relief package, they will not be able even to take up sowing for the Rabi crops. “When we received good rains earlier this year, we were quite happy and took loans from money lenders as banks were not giving us loans for sowing. We expected that with a good Kharif harvest, we would be able to pay back the money lenders. However, now we have lost everything, we don’t have money either to pay to the money lenders or to take up Rabi sowing,” said Pravin Yeowle, a farmer from Beed.

    Yeowle said that the state government should provide relief to farmers and also direct the state-run banks to extend loans for Rabi sowing. Several farmers have sought Rs 25,000-Rs 50,000 per hectare as relief for the damage.

    Meanwhile, the signs coming from the state government indicate that the extent of damage is so much that the already distressed state government may have to approach the Centre for providing a relief package.

    On Sunday, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who is on a two-day tour of the affected areas, told reporters, “The state has limitations and, hence, the Centre’s will have to be provide relief. I have told Aghadi MPs that in the next 8 to 10 days, we would be meeting the Prime Minister and will insist that the Centre should help the state.”

    The NCP chief acknowledged that the damage suffered by the farmers was far reaching and could have long-term implications in the absence help to them. Pawar’s argument that the Centre should help comes in the wake of the state’s finances which have taken a hit due to the Covid-induced lockdown.

    Farmers are now on agitation path and have demanded immediate financial help to take up sowing. On Sunday, relief and rehabilitation minister Vijay Wadettiwar’s vehicle was stopped by angry farmers in Nanded, who demanded immediate help from the state as the survey of the damages could be taken up later. The BJP has asked the state government to extend help to the farmers with state BJP chief Chandrakant Patil reminding Uddhav of the latter’s demand in 2019 to give Rs 25,000 per hectare as relief to the farmers when unseasonal rains hit Aurangabad.

    Opposition leader and former CM Devendra Fadnavis is on a two-day tour of the affected regions. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has also announced to visit the affected regions on Monday.


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