Shinde asks Shiv Sena leaders to go to farm fields and help drought-hit farmers from application to survey

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has appealed to all Shiv Sena ministers, MPs, MLAs and office-bearers to go straight to the fields so that drought-affected farmers and villagers in the state get help quickly. He said this at a meeting held over video conference. Shinde said party workers should stand with a farmer from the time he files an application for help, through the survey of the loss, until government aid reaches his hands.

Shinde said that, in view of the drought, the Shiv Sena had sent 4.6 lakh grain kits to 179 drought-hit tehsils on the occasion of the Dussehra mela. He said sending help was not enough. It had to be ensured that it reached families who were truly in need. Along with the grain kits, office-bearers should also arrange daily necessities and take responsibility for local distribution. Given the severe shortage of drinking water, he made clear that the party would also consider sending tankers to villages.

Giving a message of putting social service above politics, Shinde recalled Balasaheb Thackeray's thinking of 80 per cent social service and 20 per cent politics. He said that instead of wasting time blaming one another, Shiv Sainiks should go directly to farmers and coordinate with the administration to get their problems resolved.

Instructions were given that each minister should take responsibility for the drought-hit area assigned to them and make regular visits. They should not only hold meetings but go to fields, villages, markets and places hit by water shortage, and speak directly to farmers, women, farm labourers, livestock keepers and villagers. Shinde also told office-bearers that the situation was very bad, so many farmers might have extreme thoughts such as suicide. Such farmers should be stopped in time and given courage.

Ministers and guardian ministers were told to take a review of the drought-hit tehsils from the administration every 15 days. This covers crop loss and its survey, compensation, restructuring of crop loans, power supply to farm pumps, drinking water, fodder and water for animals, employment, and the benefits of government schemes. The aim is that no eligible farmer is denied help merely because of paperwork or administrative delay. They were also advised to maintain a record register and to check personally whether the necessary help was reaching all areas.

Giving water top priority, they were asked to check the need for tankers, whether tankers were arriving on time, the condition of wells and borewells, and water arrangements for the next 15 to 30 days. Attention to fodder, water, cattle camps and veterinary services for animals was also urged.

An appeal was also made to avoid spending on grand events, unnecessary welcome ceremonies, shows of strength, pandals, publicity and banners and hoardings during the drought, and to use the available resources for relief. The core of Shinde's guidance was that help should reach every eligible beneficiary without regard to party, caste, village or political opinion. He said keeping the farmer alive was the most important thing and everything else came after.

Shinde showed a positive stance on placing the suggestions of party office-bearers before the coming Cabinet meeting and getting them approved. He also said he was ready to write to the Union government if some demands had to be settled at the Centre. He said a firm decision would be taken at the administrative level to ensure farmers face no trouble from microfinance companies, banks and private moneylenders, and that Shiv Sena office-bearers should watch its implementation. He appealed to everyone to unite and get to work, saying farmers would get great relief if the Shiv Sena's machinery joined the government machinery.