Provide Rs 1L per hectare to drought-hit farmers'

Mumbai: Opposition parties have demanded that the state government provide aid of Rs1 lakh per hectare for cash crops and Rs 50,000 per hectare for other crops as relief to farmers who are reeling under severe drought in the state.

Participating in the debate on drought in the state Legislative Assembly, former chief minister Ajit Pawar alleged that the state government had been apathetic towards solving the problems of farmers who had been affected by drought conditions across the state.

Mr Pawar said, “The drought situation is very serious in the state. The state government has declared drought in only 151talukas, whereas more than 200 talukas are reeling under severe drought.”

Farmers have lost their kharif crops and they are also in danger of losing their rabi crops due to the drought. They have been hit badly due to flawed predictions of the weather department. Depending on the weather forecast, farmers had planned their crops, but were now facing losses due to the weather department’s inept functioning, he added.

As relief, the state government should announce financial aid of Rs 1 lakh per hectare for cash crops and Rs 50,000 per hectare for other crops, said Mr Pawar.

The Opposition members alleged that the rising number of tankers in the state had exposed the state government’s claims of the Jalyukta Shivar scheme being successful. “There is huge corruption in the scheme and the state government should initiate a judicial inquiry into it. Despite Rs 7,789 crore being spent on the scheme, the number of tankers in the drought-affected areas of the state are on the rise,” said Mr Pawar.

More than 85 lakh farmers in the state had been affected by drought, said NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal during the discussion.