Maharashtra rains: Help farmers or Congress will agitate, not allow ministers to move about, warns state chief Patole

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government must declare 'wet drought' due to heavy rains and the resultant damage to crops and losses to farmers, failing which the Congress will agitate and "not allow ministers to move about", the party's state unit chief Nana Patole said on Saturday.

He said farmers in several parts of the state are distressed due to the damage to standing crops ready for harvest, while surveys and other loss-assessment procedures of the Eknath Shinde government were slow to take off.

"Due to the incompetence of the state government, the farmers will celebrate a dark Diwali. After heavy rains, the receding water has damaged crops and caused huge losses to farmers, who are distressed. Farmers in Vidarbha, Marathwada are reeling under heavy losses due to natural calamities," he told reporters.

"Aid announced by the Shinde-Fadnavis government has not reached farmers. The administration is slow in making field visits. The state government must immediately declare a wet drought otherwise the Congress will agitate. Ministers will not be allowed to move around if the state doesn't help the farmers immediately," he warned.

He said soybean, cotton, tur and maize crops have been lost, orchards and vegetable farms have been severely affected and livestock have been killed in several parts of the state, mainly Vidarbha and Marathwada.

"I have visited the affected areas of Vidarbha and Marathwada and interacted with the farmers. Officials are not coming to conduct panchnamas, and surveys have not taken all factors into account. Even the increased assistance announced by the state government is meagre, which too has not been received by farmers," he alleged.