Stepping up pressure on the BJP-led Devendra Fadnavis government, the Maharashtra unit of the Congress said here today that it is "not serious" about tackling the drought situation.
Addressing a press conference, the Maharashtra state unit president of the Congress party Manikrao Thakre said that unless farmers are given an adequate financial package before the winter session, the Congress would not allow the state legislature to function.
The Congress has also plans to organise a "halla bol" protest on the first day of the legislature session on Devember 8 in Nagpur. More than half of Maharashtra is reeling under drought like conditions, while growers of soyabean, paddy and cotton have been suffering due to insufficient rain and unseasonal rains
"Our government had given a Rs 4,000-crore package to farmers affected by hailstorm. Even before the central team came, we had started disbursing financial aid," he said. Criticising the BJP-led Maharashtra government, Thakre said it has not done anything except its ministers touring drought-affected areas.
Thakre demanded Rs 25,000 per hectare for farmers with dry farms or non-irrigated land and Rs 50,000 per hectare for farmers with irrigated land as well as growers of horticulture crops. He said only Congress fights for farmers at a time when the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), Shiv Sena and the Raju Shetti-led Shetkari Sanghtana are quiet.
He said that a meeting of the Congress party's Vidarbha office bearers and leaders has been convened on November 29, while the Aurangabad meeting would be held on November 30.
"All efforts are being taken to make the morcha of party workers and farmers a success," he said.
The Congress would also highlight the failure of the BJP-led Fadnavis government to nab culprits responsible for the Dalit triple murder in Javkheda village and also the failure of the Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to visit the kin of the deceased, he said.
Thakre said that a central team is yet to come down to assess the damage to soyabean, paddy and cotton crop and also the drought situation. He demanded a loan waiver and an electricity bill waiver apart from a financial package.
Thakre also criticised Maharashtra Revenue Minister Eknath Khadse's comments about farmers not paying electricity bills when they could afford to pay their mobile phone bills. "This is rubbing salt on the wounds of farmers. Such comments from a senior minister ridiculing farmers is uncalled for," he said.
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