Maharashtra’s 12-Point Drought Relief Package Falls Short of Addressing Farm Crisis, Say Activists

The Maharashtra government last week declared a drought in 305 of the state’s 358 talukas, against the backdrop of a 19 per cent monsoon deficit and the prospect of El Niño conditions intensifying. The state has said it will implement 12 relief measures in these talukas to assist farmers hit by deficient rainfall.

However, activists and agricultural experts told the Free Press Journal that, given the scale of the agricultural crisis and the financial pressure on farmers, the measures would not be enough to provide relief. They also argued that the Rs 5,000 advance assistance to be given to farmers before Diwali is too meagre.

What the government has announced

The relief measures for the 305 identified talukas were listed in a government resolution dated October 14. They include land revenue exemption, crop loan restructuring, a stay on agricultural loan recovery, waiver of school and college examination fees, and relaxation of norms under the Viksit Bharat – Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) scheme.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also announced assistance of Rs 5,000 for drought-hit farmers ahead of Diwali. Speaking at a media interaction on Wednesday, he said the advance assistance was decided on because the procedure for obtaining drought assistance from the Centre is not likely to be completed before Diwali.

Activists question adequacy

Anil Ghanwat, farmer leader and head of Shetkari Sanghatana, told the Free Press Journal that only some of the 12 measures would actually improve farmers’ situation. “The provisions that will provide some relief are the stay on recovery of agricultural loans and the prohibition on cutting off power supply for agricultural pumps,” he said. “On restructuring of crop loans, it is seen that often, the government and the banks are not on the same page, and farmers only get partial relief. In any case, farmers are in such a dire financial condition that merely restructuring the loan will not ease their financial burden.”

Ghanwat said the exam fee provision would also not be very useful, as school education is free in any case. “Several ‘relief measures’ listed by the government are not very substantial, and it appears as if they have been included only so that it appears that the list of actions is longer,” he said.

“Are farmers expected to starve to death?”

Kishor Tiwari, farm activist and former chairperson of a Maharashtra government task force on agrarian distress, said he was not convinced by the state’s reasoning that the Rs 5,000 advance was announced because obtaining drought assistance would take time. He said the state must clarify the extent of financial relief it is seeking from the Centre and the drought-hit area inspected by the Union government so far.

“The farmers’ crisis is an immediate one,” Tiwari told the Free Press Journal. “Are the farmers expected to starve to death till the administrative procedures of the Centre and state governments are completed?”

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Last week, Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Kailas Patil also said the Rs 5,000 advance was too little. He questioned why the state government was describing it as “advance assistance” when 81 per cent of panchnamas had been completed, surveys of farms and dams had been carried out, and the government had promised assistance to all farmers.