Oppn, Farmers Slam Mahayuti Govt Over Rs 5,000 Aid To Drought-Hit Maha Growers Term It Cruel Joke

(MENAFN- IANS) Mumbai, Oct 14 (IANS) The Maharashtra government's announcement of a Rs 5,000 advance drought relief payment to farmers for districts facing severe agrarian crisis from 305 talukas, has triggered sharp political backlash and widespread outrage among farmers' organisations. Opposition leaders and the All India Kisan Sabha have slammed the financial assistance as inadequate, labeling the package a "cruel joke" and an insult to the struggles of distressed agricultural communities.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA, Kailas Patil, criticised the announcement, calling the Rs 5,000 relief an "insult and mockery" of farmers facing severe hardship and inflation.

Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh and NCP(SP) leader slammed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, stating that the government had initially promised blanket assistance to all affected farmers, but has now scaled it back using administrative excuses.

Senior Congress leader and MLA, Vijay Wadettiwar, launched a scathing attack on the Maharashtra administration, stating that the Rs 5,000 relief is equivalent to "rubbing salt into the wounds" of struggling farmers.

Highlighting the gravity of the crisis, Wadettiwar noted that farmers are not only reeling under current losses but are deeply anxious about their survival in the coming year. Many have borrowed heavily from private lenders and financial sources to fund their cultivation, only to face total crop failure, leaving their granaries empty and mountains of debt overhead.

Questioning the state's financial priorities, Wadettiwar asked how the government could claim to lack funds for distressed farmers while simultaneously allocating thousands of crores for mega-projects like the upcoming Kumbh Mela and the Shaktipeeth Expressway.

"Gaining the blessings of farmers is far more important than funding the Kumbh Mela," he asserted, demanding that the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis-led government scrap non-essential high-budget projects and redirect funds toward substantial financial relief for farmers.

Echoing similar outrage, the All India Kisan Sabha (AKS) strongly condemned the Rs 5,000 advance payment announced by Chief Minister Fadnavis across 305 drought-affected tehsils. In a joint statement released in Mumbai, prominent Kisan Sabha leaders-including Dr Ashok Dhawale, J.P. Gavit, Dr Ajit Nawle, Yashwant Zhade, and Umesh Deshmukh-pointed out that the meager sum fails to cover even the basic production costs of fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, and manual labour.

With agricultural supply vendors aggressively pressing for the clearance of old credit, farmers find themselves trapped in an inescapable cycle of debt ahead of the Diwali festival.

The Kisan Sabha has demanded that instead of arbitrary token amounts under NDRF guidelines, farmers should receive compensation matching the insured sums under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).

It has urged the government to immediately disburse the long-delayed 9th and 10th installments of the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana, which amounts to an estimated Rs 3,590 crore in total unpaid dues for nearly 8.9 million eligible farmer families.

The Kisan Sabha criticised the massive drop in beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin Yojana (which saw numbers decline from 2.47 crore to 1.66 crore), demanding that the nearly 81,000 excluded women be reinstated and paid their due installments. It claimed that delays in actual debt relief disbursements have left farmers vulnerable, threatening their eligibility for fresh seasonal crop loans from cooperative banks.

Expressing extreme discontent over unresolved issues encompassing drought relief, farm loan waivers, crop insurance, and forest rights, the Kisan Sabha has announced a massive statewide agitation.

Beginning October 26, thousands of farmers will rally in vehicle convoys from Akole in Ahilyanagar toward Mumbai, marching directly toward Chief Minister Fadnavis' official residence, Varsha. Following their arrival in the capital, protesters are set to launch an indefinite 'Satyagraha' at Azad Maidan starting October 27.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Fadnavis issued strict directives to financial institutions and banks instructing them not to execute forced recovery actions against farmers. He reiterated the state's intent to disburse Rs 5,000 directly into farmers' accounts as immediate advance relief ahead of the festive season.

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