Mumbai, Sep 24 (IANS) : Shiv Sena (UBT) President, Uddhav Thackeray, on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the Maharashtra government over its handling of the severe agrarian crisis and drought-like conditions in the state.
Slamming the ruling coalition’s field visits as mere photo opportunities and political showmanship, Thackeray at the press conference, issued a direct challenge to the Mahayuti government in Maharashtra, putting forth five key demands including urgently convening of special Cabinet meetings in worst-hit regions including Solapur, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (Aurangabad), and Vidarbha and special session of the state legislature to address the plight of distressed farmers.
“Convene immediately 2-to-3-day special Maharashtra Legislative Assembly session to discuss drought mitigation, drinking water distribution, and crop damage relief without waiting for procedural delays,” he said.
Calling out the administration’s reliance on rigid National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms, Thackeray urged the Maharashtra government to bypass red tape and officially declare a state of drought based on ground reality.
He demanded full transparency and a comprehensive report detailing how much of the previously announced Rs 31,000 crore financial package actually reached affected farmers and immediate publication of the complete list of beneficiaries under the current farm loan waiver scheme.
Thackeray highlighted that during his tenure, a blanket loan waiver up to Rs 2 lakh was provided within 15 days without tedious criteria. He demanded action against crop insurance companies. He asked the government to hold a probe and strictly penalise predatory crop insurance firms that distributed nominal compensation cheques of Rs 5 or Rs 21. He condemned the removal of four major trigger conditions that compromised farmer security, causing insurance registrations to plummet.
Taking aim at Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over delaying formal crop loss assessments (panchnamas) until after October 5, Thackeray questioned the rationale behind holding back aid, “Farmers are on the verge of dying, crops are scorched, livestock fodder is depleted, and families are buried under debt. Yet, the Chief Minister says assessments will begin later. What are you waiting for? Your eyes should be your criteria—it is plain to see that the farmer is completely ruined.”
Mocking the ministerial visits to affected fields, Thackeray dismissed them as mere photo ops, asking whether government tours were meant for actual relief or just for “eating cashews and almonds” while ignoring rural suffering.
“The state government must disburse financial assistance to farmers within 40 to 45 days without waiting for central funds. The government should establish an open digital dashboard at the Mantralaya updating daily disbursements and relief measures and chalk out concrete plans to prevent farmer suicides and manage large-scale rural-to-urban migration by providing immediate employment and temporary shelter,” said Thackeray.
