Jalgaon: Maharashtra is facing a severe drought, which the state government has officially declared. However, merely declaring a drought is insufficient; immediate measures are needed to provide relief to farmers. Congress State President Harshvardhan Sapkal expressed regret that opposition parties were not taken into confidence while formulating drought mitigation strategies. He made these remarks while speaking to Navshakti and the Free Press Journal during his tour of the Vidarbha and Khandesh regions, which included a visit to Jalgaon.
Sapkal said the severity of the drought was evident during his tour. Crops in the fields were withering due to a lack of water, and farmers appeared despondent. He said they urgently needed assistance, including the immediate establishment of cattle camps and fodder depots.
Although the government has declared a drought, the process of conducting crop damage assessments (panchanamas) is still underway. Sapkal likened the situation to the saying, “The king turned generous but handed over a pumpkin,” describing it as an empty gesture. He dismissed the assessment process and the visit by the central team as misleading tactics.
Sapkal emphasised the need for unity during the drought and urged the government to convene a meeting with the Opposition to discuss mitigation measures and exchange views. Since no such meeting had been called, he said he had met the Governor to request that one be organised.
He noted that farmers were burdened by debt and called for a complete loan waiver. Regarding private moneylenders, he alleged that they were actually BJP activists. Highlighting the severity of the water crisis in the district, Sapkal questioned why water supply schemes remained incomplete despite the district having both a Water Resources Minister and a Water Supply Minister.
He demanded financial assistance of ₹1 lakh per hectare for all affected farmers, along with ex-gratia payments for farm labourers who were currently without work. He also called for measures to provide labourers with employment in their villages to prevent migration and urged the government to divert funds allocated for highways towards drought relief.
Sapkal also visited Hingne in Bodwad taluka of Jalgaon district to inspect farms and interact with farmers.
Speaking at a press conference, Sapkal alleged corruption amounting to ₹36,000 crore in the name of the Nashik Kumbh Mela, describing it as rampant and unchecked graft. He said the state's Water Supply Department was in disarray and alleged that efforts were underway to cover up the irregularities. Sapkal demanded the release of a white paper detailing the various expenditures incurred during the drought.
Jalgaon in-charge Mirza, District President Dhananjay Chaudhary, former District President Sandeep Patil and other district office-bearers were present on the occasion.
