Congress holds drought march in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, seeks Rs 1 lakh per hectare for farmers

Concern over drought is running high in Maharashtra. Rains failed this year, making water scarcity a major issue in the state, and farmers are visibly distressed for want of adequate rainfall. Against this backdrop, the Congress took to the streets over farmers' issues and held a Jan Aakrosh drought march.

The march in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar was led by Dr Sirivella Prasad, the party's Maharashtra in-charge, and state president Harshwardhan Sapkal. It demanded immediate financial help for farmers, a complete loan waiver and a grant of Rs 1 lakh per hectare. Congress leaders also sharply criticised the BJP-led Mahayuti government's approach to dealing with the drought.

Addressing the march, Dr Prasad raised the issue of farmers' financial condition. He claimed that farmer suicides are rising and questioned the government's assistance. Citing the loan waivers granted to industrialists, he asked what difficulty the government had in waiving farmers' loans of Rs 2 lakh. He also demanded that the government take seriously the problems of farmers and ordinary citizens hit by the drought.

State president Sapkal raised the losses of this year's kharif season. He said farmers are facing a calamity from the skies and have to wait even for government-level assistance. Criticising the decision to give farmers Rs 5,000 for Diwali, Sapkal said this help was inadequate. Saying that farmers in distress need immediate relief, he demanded a full loan waiver and a grant of Rs 1 lakh per hectare.

The Congress also demanded that decisions on aid to farmers be taken immediately, without waiting for survey and panchnama reports. It further demanded an ex gratia grant for farm labourers, the start of MGNREGA works, waiver of educational fees for farmers' children and free ST bus passes for students.

The march also raised the issues of starting fodder camps for cattle, providing tankers for drinking water and stopping the alleged harassment by moneylenders.

Senior Congress leader and CWC member Balasaheb Thorat said the drought situation in Marathwada is serious. He said farmers, farm labourers and livestock are in difficulty because of the kharif losses and uncertainty over rabi crops.

Thorat demanded that the government clarify how much assistance will be given for rain-fed and irrigated farming. Calling for a halt to recovery demands by banks, financial companies and moneylenders, he appealed that government funds be used to give relief to farmers and ordinary citizens.

MPs Dr Kalyan Kale, Dr Shivajirao Kalge and Prof Ravindra Chavan, along with Balasaheb Thorat, Congress office-bearers and citizens, took part in the march. Attention now turns to what decision the state government takes on the demands of drought-hit farmers.