NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar threatens Samruddhi Expressway blockade over drought aid, claims Rs 77,000 cr crop losses

Nationalist Congress Party SP general secretary and MLA Rohit Pawar on Monday said farmers and agricultural labourers would block the MumbaiNagpur Samruddhi Expressway between October 12 and 15 if the Maharashtra government failed to announce adequate drought relief by October 12Addressing a press conference in Mumbai the Opposition MLA said the state government had declared drought in several parts of Maharashtra but had not yet announced the quantum of financial assistance for affected farmers He claimed the state had suffered crop losses of around Rs 77000 croreIf assistance is not announced before October 12 farmers and agricultural labourers would block the Samruddhi Expressway between October 1215 he told reportersPawar said he expected the state Cabinet to announce a relief package for droughtaffected farmers either at its meeting on Tuesday or at the following weeks meetingDrought declared across 265 talukasThe state government on Saturday declared drought in 265 of Maharashtras 358 talukas accounting for about 74 per cent of the states talukas amid a rainfall deficitThe government also announced several relief measures including restructuring of crop loans concessions in land revenue and subsidies on agricultural electricity billsRohit Pawar however said the measures announced so far did not address farmers demand for direct financial assistance and loan waiversHe claimed Maharashtra had received 7836 mm of rainfall till September 27 which was 2050 per cent below normal According to Pawar the rainfall deficit stood at 3430 per cent in Nashik 980 per cent in Konkan and 25 per cent in the Nagpur divisionsPawar puts crop losses at Rs 77000 croreAccording to Pawar Maharashtras crop losses were estimated at around Rs 77000 crore excluding losses to fruit crops and sugarcaneHe said farmers had spent around Rs 95500 crore on sowing while the expected value of agricultural production was estimated at Rs 128866 crorePawar put the losses in Marathwada at Rs 33750 crore and those in Vidarbha at Rs 22456 crore He claimed Yavatmal alone had suffered losses of Rs 5136 croreLosses in north Maharashtra were estimated at Rs 10000 crore while Ahilyanagar district had suffered losses of around Rs 3500 crore according to PawarThe NCP SP leader also claimed that rabi crops had suffered losses of around Rs 35000 croreDemand for Rs 50000 per hectare assistancePawar demanded direct assistance of at least Rs 50000 per hectare for farmers affected by the droughtHe said the assistance available under State Disaster Response Fund SDRF norms including Rs 8500 per hectare for rainfed land and a maximum of Rs 17000 under the applicable norms would not be sufficient to cover farmers lossesFarmers spend between Rs 50000 and Rs 60000 per acre on cultivation Pawar said arguing that the government should provide at least Rs 50000 per hectare as direct assistance to affected farmersHe also criticised the relief measures announced by the Mahayuti government last week including concessions in land revenue restructuring of crop loans and concessions on agricultural power billsPawar said farmers were seeking loan waivers and direct financial assistance rather than measures that did not provide immediate financial supportCrop insurance and pending aid raisedDuring the press conference Pawar spoke to a farmer from Jalna district over a video call The farmer claimed that he had not received crop insurance compensation and that no government official had visited his area to assess the damage caused this yearPawar claimed farmers the Centre and the state government had together paid Rs 2394 crore in crop insurance premiums while insurance companies had paid Rs 1938 crore in compensationFarmers did not even get back the amount paid as premium the NCP SP MLA said claiming the average compensation stood at only Rs 4306 per hectare against a demand of Rs 17000He also alleged that Rs 15000 crore due under the Agricultural Prosperity Yojana meant for subsidies and agricultural infrastructure had not been paid over the past three yearsPawar further claimed that of the Rs 31628 crore relief package announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis last year only 25 per cent had reached farmersThe state government had declared drought in 265 talukas and announced relief measures in response to the rainfall deficitWith inputs from PTI