Maharashtra govt ignoring distressed farmers, pursuing unnecessary projects: Jayant Patil

Senior NCP SP leader Jayant Patil on Saturday criticised the Maharashtra government over its handling of farmersrsquo issues accusing it of ignoring pending demands of cultivators while continuing to spend on what he described as ldquounnecessaryrdquo projects despite the statersquos growing debt burden reported PTIPatilrsquos remarks came a day after several opposition leaders were detained during a protest march held in Mumbai to highlight the demands of farmers from the Konkan regionOpposition Leaders Detained During Farmersrsquo Protest In MumbaiThe protest march was organised by farmer leader Raju Shetti along with leaders from multiple opposition partiesAmong those who participated in the demonstration were Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal Rashtriya Samaj Paksha leader Mahadev Jankar and Shiv Sena UBT MPs Vinayak Raut and Arvind Sawant reported PTIThe march was stopped by police outside Mantralaya the Maharashtra state secretariat following which several leaders and supporters were detainedThe protest was organised to press for various demands related to farmers facing losses due to unseasonal weather and declining market pricesJayant Patil Questions Government Spending PrioritiesIn a statement issued on Saturday Patil said the state government often cites a lack of funds when it comes to addressing farmersrsquo concerns and clearing pending demands reported PTIHowever he alleged that largescale spending continues on projects that do not have significant public demand despite Maharashtrarsquos rising debt burdenldquoThere is a shortage of funds for several pending demands of farmers But even though the state is under a mountain of debt work on many unnecessary projects is being undertaken This is worryingrdquo Patil said reported PTIThe former state minister questioned the governmentrsquos priorities and said financial resources should first be directed towards addressing the problems faced by farmers across MaharashtraMango Cashew And Onion Farmers Facing Heavy LossesPatil said farmers cultivating mangoes cashews and onions have been severely affected due to unseasonal rainfall as well as low market prices reported PTIAccording to him growers are facing a double setback as crop damage caused by erratic weather has coincided with prices falling below the Minimum Support Price MSP in several marketsHe said farmers are struggling to recover production costs despite investing significant time and labour into cultivationFarmers Struggling To Receive Fair Prices Says PatilPatil said the situation of farmers in Maharashtra has become increasingly difficult and described their condition as ldquopitiablerdquo reported PTIHe said it was a matter of concern that cultivators in an agriculturedependent economy continue to struggle to secure fair prices for their produceThe opposition leader also stressed the need for the government to take immediate steps to support affected farmers and address issues related to crop losses pricing and compensationThe protest by opposition parties comes amid growing political pressure on the Maharashtra government over farmerrelated issues and demands for stronger relief measures in regions impacted by unseasonal rainWith inputs from PTI