The Maharashtra Assembly was walked out by the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on the subject of payment for farmers affected by the recent unexpected rains.
Unseasonal rains in Maharashtra recently destroyed standing crops on 13,729 hectares across eight districts. The districts of Palghar, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Dhule, Buldhana, and Washim have suffered the worst damage.
On Wednesday, the Opposition brought up crop losses caused by unseasonal rains in the legislative council. The council's opposition leader, Ambadas Danve, the NCP's Shashikant Shinde, and the
Congress leader Satej Patil all requested urgent compensation for impacted farmers. They justified their claim by citing the damage to crops such as soybean, wheat, cotton, mango, grape, pomegranate, and others.
"I have never witnessed unseasonal rains during Holi," Uddhav Sena leader Danve stated. This is the season for agricultural harvesting. Rainfall has harmed wheat yields in the past. Agricultural produce was previously undervalued, and now unseasonal rains have added to farmers' troubles." "The government should loosen the rule that compensation should not be paid to farmers who have experienced less than 33% loss," Patil added.
"Farmers from the Konkan area have not gotten any compensation following the storm," stated MLC Jayant Patil. Merely an announcement was made, but no compensation was offered." In response, Industry Minister Uday Samant stated, "The Maha Vikas Aghadi administration had not released the money after the storm, but the Shinde-Fadnavis alliance has disbursed Rs.2,883 crore to the Konkan area, with Raigad and Ratnagiri districts receiving Rs.800 crore apiece."
Rebutting the Opposition, Higher and Technical Education Minister Chandrakant Patil stated, "The administration has already taken positive measures from farmers' point of view. There is no need for more relief announcements. The payout has been enhanced from Rs.6,800 to Rs.10,000 per acre. In addition, monetary compensation for damaged grapes, mangoes, coconuts, and betel nuts has been enhanced to a maximum of Rs.25,000."
