Pandharpur: Even as the state reels under drought and agrarian distress, the state government has rubbed salt on a farmer’s wounds by depositing the ‘princely’ sum of Rs 4 in his account, for ‘Drought Kharif Relief’.
Pandit Ingle, the farmer who was the recipient of this largesse from the government, is a resident of Dhavlas village. He owns an acre of land and had initially cultivated sugarcane on his land but it was ruined by the drought. He then switched to growing tur dal, which too was destroyed. When the talathi came to survey his land for panchanama, he pointed out his predicament.
However the government has only given him Rs 4 as relief for his kharif crop. “Even if the government had not given any money it would have been fine, but this is making a mockery of our distress,” said Ingle.
He showed the text message received from the government, showing they had deposited Rs 4 into his account for ‘Drought Kharif Relief’. Further, says a flummoxed Ingle, when the minimum amount one can withdraw from the bank is Rs 500, how is one to withdraw Rs 4?