Maharashtra: Opposition demands loan waiver for farmers in flood-hit region

Maharashtra Congress, on Wednesday, demanded the state government to announce a Rs 60,000 per hectare compensation and a complete farm loan waiver for farmers who were affected due to flood.The Maharashtra Congress party delegations under the leadership of its president Balasaheb Thorat met the chief minister Devendra Fadnavis with the charter of demands. The delegations pointed out that western Maharashtra is marooned while Marathwada is facing the drought."The government should declare flood as the natural calamity in western Maharashtra, Konkan and North Maharashtra while the drought should be declared in the Marathwada. Centre government has not yet declared this flood in Maharashtra as the' L3 calamity' and not a single Union minister has visited this flood and drought-affected regions so far. It shows how the government is serious about natural calamities and its preparedness," said Opposition leaders in its letter to CM Fadnavis."Government did give something for the loss of livestock but that amount is not enough for farmers. That amount has to be increased."The letter further reads that the in Marathwada, Beed, Usmanabad, and Latur districts are facing the worst drought this year also."The Kharif season of Marathwada region has gone. There is no yield. Therefore, the government should announce some relief package and compensations to these area farmers."