Mumbai: The Shiv Sena has raised apprehension over the state government’s aid to onion farmers expressing doubts on whether they would get the said relief on time.
The farmers are yet to receive the financial aid of a similar scheme announced in 2016 when prices of the onions had fallen as low as Rs 100 per quintal, the party said.
“Prices of onions had similarly dipped in 2016 and the government then had announced relief of Rs 100 per quintal. However, there have been allegations that money has yet not been disbursed. If that is true, then now the question is when will the farmers receive the aid of Rs 200,” the Sena said in an editorial in the party mouthpiece Saamana.
The state government on Thursday had announced Rs 150 crore as relief to onion farmers. The decision will be applicable to 75 lakh metric tonne of onions.
The financial relief consists of an ex-gratia payment at the rate of Rs 200 per quintal (with an upper limit of Rs 200 quintal per onion farmer) for the onions sold between November 1 and December 15, 2018.
The Sena said after spending Rs 1000 per quintal as input costs to grow onions, the staple was sold at Rs 500 and the price later went down to Rs 100-105 per quintal, or Rs 1-1.50 per kg.
The party added that the farmers, in September, had demanded immediate remedial steps from the government to cease the fall in prices. However, their demands had gone unheard.
“This decision is good, however the government should ensure money is disbursed on time,” the Sena said.
Last month, farmer Sanjay Sathe from Nashik district, had sent his onion sale earnings of '1,064, after selling 750 kg of his produce in a wholesale market, to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) as a protest.
