Farmers in Marathwada protest over flood relief package disbursal delay

Farmers in Marathwada have begun protesting against the Maharashtra government for its failure to keep its word on the disbursal of ₹32,000-crore flood relief package.

The Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana (SSS) on Tuesday staged a stir outside the residence of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Collector wearing garlands of maize and other crops and shouted slogans against the Devendra Fadnavis-led Mahayuti government. They were detained by the police thereafter.

Maratha leader Manoj Jarange-Patil also threatened a large-scale protest if the government did not credit flood relief package to the farmers’ accounts immediately.

“We had given a letter to the Collector office a week ago saying the farmers are in distress. The government had promised a flood relief package. We had said that if the administration failed to disburse the package, we would hold a half-naked bhakri-chutney (millet bread and chutney) agitation outside the Collector’s residence. A week has passed. The farmers have not yet received a single rupee in their accounts,” Krishna Sable, district leader of the SSS, told The Hindu.

Massive damage

Over one crore acres of farmland has been damaged due to the recent floods in Maharashtra. Most of the damage has happened in Marathwada, where lakhs of farmers have been affected. The untimely rains affected not just the crops but also the soil. At several places, the top soil was washed away by floods, leaving behind mud that will need to be mixed with silt to bring back soil fertility.

“The farmers are in a dire condition. The floods have wreaked such havoc that they can’t sow anything for the rabi season. The government had said it will make sure the money is disbursed before Diwali. Where is it then?” SSS chief Raju Shetti told The Hindu, explaining the rationale for the protests in Marathwada and parts of Vidarbha.

When contacted, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Collector Deelip Swami said he was on leave for the past week and was not aware of the protest. He said his additional charge was being handled by another officer. Despite repeated attempts, The Hindu could not reach the other officer.

Meanwhile, another protest will be held in Kaij taluka of Beed in Marathwada on Wednesday. “Though panchnamas (damage assessment reports) have been done, we haven’t received a single rupee till now. We will hold a bhakri-chutney agitation in front of the tehsildar office on Wednesday,” said Hanumant Bhosale, a farmer leader from Kaij.