Fadnavis spends Diwali night with Nagpur farmers, says Rs 57,000 crore dues will be waived

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spent Diwali with drought-affected farmers at Lohari Savanga village in Narkhed tehsil of Nagpur district. He announced there that the state would write off the outstanding electricity bills of farmers, which total about Rs 57,000 crore.

Fadnavis made the announcement on Saturday, November 7, at a community prayer meeting in the village. He called it a Diwali relief measure for Maharashtra's farmers. He told the gathering that the government stands firmly with them at a time of crisis. He also said the balance of the drought relief money would soon reach farmers' bank accounts.

The Chief Minister sat with the villagers and listened to their problems. He later ate at the home of farmer Rambhau Balpande and stayed the night with the family. The Balpandes thanked him for coming to the village and learning of the hardships farmers face. Rambhau's wife also expressed her thanks.

In a social media post, Fadnavis wrote that the true joy of Diwali lies in sharing the joys and sorrows of one's own people. He said that all the ministers had jointly decided to go to villages this year and celebrate the festival with farmers. "Farmers are in distress because of the severe drought in Maharashtra. So all of us ministers have together decided this time to go to villages and celebrate Diwali with the farmers. By talking to the farmers, we have tried, in a way, to boost their morale." He added, "The drought will have to be confronted. No immediate remedy for it is possible. We will help the farmers in whatever way they can be helped. Along with that, we will try to boost their morale and make them feel that the government is with the farmers."

Fadnavis said rainfall in the last monsoon was below expectations, which made farming harder. To secure water in the coming months, the government has given priority to farm roads, the revival of old dams and bandharas (small structures that hold back water), and other water conservation work. He said these would improve basic facilities in villages and raise water availability for agriculture. He also said the government would try to resolve health-related problems and appealed to everyone to face the difficulty together.

He drew on the teachings of Rashtrasant Tukdoji Maharaj, saying the saint had shown what must be done in times of drought. The Gramgeeta, he said, points the way to the economic, cultural and intellectual progress of villages. Its ideas remain relevant for rural development and social change, and villages can become prosperous and self-reliant by following them.

Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule attended the programme. So did MLAs Charansingh Thakur and Dr Ashish Deshmukh, MLC Dr Rajiv Potdar, District Collector Kumar Ashirwad and Zilla Parishad CEO Vinayak Mahamuni, besides other dignitaries.

The announcement is seen as a major decision for the farm sector. However, it is not yet clear which farmers will benefit, how the waiver will be carried out, or when it will take effect. Detailed guidelines are awaited.