Shiv Sena holds Buldhana march demanding Rs 1 lakh per hectare drought aid for farmers

The Shiv Sena on Tuesday took out a large march in Buldhana over drought relief. The party demanded that farmers be given Rs 1 lakh per hectare across the board. Farmers carrying scorched soyabean plants took part in the march. Some came with tractors and bullock carts, holding placards demanding aid. They shouted slogans against the state government's Government Resolution, which they called deceptive.

Not only in Buldhana district but across Maharashtra, a long dry spell in the rains cost farmers their kharif season. The government has declared a dry drought, but the Shiv Sena said that, in a play of words, it has not stated what relief will actually be given. The party took out the march in protest against this policy.

The march set off from the Jijamata Prekshagar ground. Thousands of farmers had gathered on the ground before it began, and Shiv Sena leaders addressed them. The leaders gave a stern warning that the fight would not stop until farmers received direct assistance.

MP Arvind Sawant said the party had brought the march carrying the anger of farmers. According to him, when the crisis first became visible in the country, Shiv Sena party chief Uddhav Thackeray was the first to speak on it and had also demanded a special session. Sawant questioned the loan waiver policy of the Centre and the state government. He alleged that concessions are being given on the loans of big industrialists while conditions and norms are being imposed for farm loan waivers. Sawant said Uddhav Thackeray had, as soon as he became Chief Minister, granted loan relief of up to Rs 2 lakh to all farmers. He asked why, if the present government waives industrialists' loans, it had decided on restructuring in the case of farmers. Sawant also said the Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) would set up farmer aid centres at district and taluka levels, through which relief work for farmers would be carried out in the coming period.

MLA Siddharth Kharat said the Fadnavis government declared a drought by issuing just one resolution, but that resolution does not say what relief will be provided in the drought. According to him, this has caused deep discontent among farmers. Kharat demanded that the drama of panchnamas be stopped and compensation for losses be announced.

State spokesperson Jayshree Shelke said the Mahayuti government is stringing farmers along, and that this discontent will unseat the government in the coming period. District chief Jalindar Budhwat said the Shiv Sena is always with farmers.

MLA Nitin Deshmukh said such a crisis had not come in 30 years. According to him, farmers' homes today face the question of how the hearth will be lit in the evening. Deshmukh said that since the BJP government came to power, there has been only rhetoric. He said votes were sought in the name of Hindutva, so help is expected now in the time of drought, and asked whether farmers are not Hindus. Deshmukh said the children of farmers and farm labourers have no jobs today and that the drought will make matters worse. He said the government woke up only after the Shiv Sena took to the streets and marches began from western Vidarbha. But the state government has not said what is in the resolution it issued. Deshmukh said the Shiv Sena will intensify this fight on the streets in the coming period and, if needed, he also warned of blocking the Samruddhi Mahamarg.