In Maharashtra’s Buldhana district, Congress leaders are urging Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to secure a major relief package from the central government. This comes as heavy rains and floods have devastated farmers in Marathwada and other regions, wiping out crops and leaving many in dire straits.
State Congress President Harshwardhan Sapkal visited flood-hit villages in Buldhana on Friday. He spoke directly with struggling farmers and slammed the BJP-led state government for empty promises. “The chief minister and his deputies just show up for photos but offer no real support,” Sapkal said. He pointed out that relentless rains since May have ruined the Kharif season, and September’s downpours have finished off what’s left.
Sapkal called on Fadnavis, who was in Delhi that day, to push for big financial aid from the Centre right away. Farmers in Maharashtra are facing massive losses from this natural disaster, he added. Congress wants the state to declare a “wet drought” and roll out key help: Rs 50,000 per hectare in aid, Rs 2 lakh per acre for land swept away by floods, free seeds and fertilizers for the upcoming Rabi season, and full loan waivers. But Sapkal criticized the government’s current relief as too small—even Rs 3,000 per hectare won’t actually reach farmers.
The party plans a huge statewide protest on October 3 to fight for farmers’ rights. Sapkal took a jab at Finance Minister and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, saying Congress governments always backed farmers. “Money isn’t an issue—why approve massive projects like the Rs 88,000-crore Shaktipeeth highway but hesitate on flood relief?” he asked.
Meanwhile, senior NCP-SP leader and former minister Jayant Patil toured flood-damaged areas in Beed and Dharashiv districts on Friday. He demanded immediate crop loan waivers to help farmers rebuild after the heavy rains in Maharashtra. Patil also called for Rs 20,000 crore from the PM CARES Fund and Rs 50,000 per acre from the state government.
Patil painted a grim picture of the devastation. “Farmers’ lives are in ruins—standing crops are underwater and destroyed, expenses washed away, fertile soil gone with the floods. Solar pumps and irrigation gear are uprooted, livestock lost, and homes and shops damaged. Worst of all, damage assessments haven’t even started, leaving desperate farmers waiting for help.” He urged the government to act fast and respond to their cries.
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