SRINAGAR: A farmer from Dawarwadi village in Paithan taluka, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district, has claimed to have received just Rs 6 as compensation from the government for crop losses caused by heavy rains and flooding in August-September.
Digambar Sudhakar Tangde, who owns two acres of farmland, spoke to reporters on Wednesday during Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray’s visit to the Marathwada region. Tangde criticised the minimal aid, saying the amount “is not even sufficient to buy a cup of tea” and called it a “big joke on the farmers.”
Farmers in other districts, including Akola, have reported similarly negligible compensation under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), with some receiving as little as Rs 3 and Rs 21. Many staged protests at district collector offices, returning the meagre sums in cheque form, describing the aid as an “insult” to their plight.
Tangde also called for a loan waiver, citing that previous administrations, including under Uddhav Thackeray, had provided such relief. He lamented that although the current government had announced a loan waiver, it has yet to materialise.
The state government had announced a Rs 31,628 crore compensation package last month for farmers affected by crop losses, soil erosion, damage to houses, shops, cattle sheds, and for hospitalisation of injured persons. Despite this, farmers in Marathwada and other regions continue to await meaningful financial relief. -(KL)
