Farmers’ crops ruined due to unseasonal rains, government promises help

Mumbai: Maharashtra’s Relief and Rehabilitation Department has directed to assess the damage to crops caused by unseasonal rain and hailstorm. Farmers’ crops have been damaged due to unseasonal rains in 11 districts of the state. The badly affected crops of jowar, wheat, mango, oranges, bananas and rabi are spread over 50,000 hectares of land. The Meteorological Department has expressed the possibility of unseasonal rain and hailstorm in future, due to which the concern of the farmers has increased. However, Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde said that the district administration has been directed to assess the damaged crops and submit a report, so that the way can be paved for providing financial assistance to the farmers. The Minister said that due to the implementation of the Election Code of Conduct, it is currently difficult to provide any kind of financial assistance to the farmers. However, the state government has assured the farmers that they will be provided all possible assistance. Let us tell you that keeping in mind the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the activities of the district administration become important. At the same time, the main opposition parties Shiv Sena, UBT, NCP, SP and Congress have targeted the state government over the damage caused to the crops of farmers. Taking on the opposition parties, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has made it clear that the state government will provide all possible financial assistance keeping in mind the damage caused to the crops of the farmers. Rabi crops and fruits including oranges, mangoes, bananas, spread over 40,000 hectares in Amravati district alone suffered severe damage. Crops spread over an area of more than 4,060 hectares in 74 villages in nearby Akola were affected. Crops spread over 3,500 hectares in 100 villages in Buldhana were affected. NCP (SP) has criticized BJP over the farmers’ crisis, saying that the party has now divided the farmers on the basis of which party they belong to. NCP (SP) said, “BJP goes to farmers only for votes, but this time such an insensitive government will not get a chance.”