Shiv Sena Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray legislator from Kalam assembly constituency in Osmanabad district Kailash Patil called off his indefinite fast on Sunday after seven days, following the intervention by former chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and also a commitment from the chief minister Eknath Shinde and the Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in the presence of the leader of opposition from the state council Ambadas Danve.
Patil had sat on indefinite fast demanding the immediate declaration of wet drought by the state government as the heavy rains and floods had caused severe damage to the crops and hit the farmers hard across Maharashtra. Besides, Patil has pressed for the payment of pending crop insurance to the farmers who are reeling under the financial stress.
Danve, who was present along with the party MP Omraje Nimbalkar when Patil called off his indefinite fast after drinking coconut water, said that the state government has assured that the farmers will be given a much needed relief in the next two days and the cabinet sub committee will meet to discuss the loss of agriculture due to heavy rains and floods and the compensation to be paid to the farmers.
‘’Fadnavis’ response was positive. In addition, the party president Uddhav Thackeray had also asked Patil to call off his indefinite fast as the party stands with him and the farmers,’’ said Danve.
He added that the agriculture minister Abdul Sattar also in his talk with Patil said that he would discuss with the CM the issues raised by the latter and follow them up in the cabinet sub committee meeting.
‘’I have called off my indefinite fast following instruction from the party president and commitment from the CM and the DCM. But if the promise is not met in the next few days, then I will intensify my fight for the protection of farmers’ rights. I assure that I will never let the love and trust shown to me by all of us break,’’ said Patil, who after calling off his fast joined Danve to visit the villages affected by the retreating rains and floods.
Danve demanded that the state government should take concrete decisions and immediately declare a wet drought in the state. He said that the party president Uddhav Thackeray praised Patil during his telephonic conversation for raising the farmers’ plight.
Danve said that the Osmanabad District Collector Sachin Ombase today informed that the administration has issued a letter regarding the sealing of property and bank account of the insurance company due to non-payment of pending crop insurance amount of farmers.
About Rs 1,200 crore in payments has yet to be disbursed by the insurance company towards crop insurance to the farmers affected due to heavy rainfall in 2020.
