Unseasonal rain: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde orders crop damage assessment, compensation

CM Eknath Shinde. File Pic

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has ordered an assessment of crop losses caused by unseasonal rain in Maharashtra and payment of compensation to affected farmers, according to the PTI.

"Authorities have been directed to conduct the panchnama of the damaged crops and affected farmers should be paid adequate compensation," CM Shinde said.

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He attended various programmes in Thane city on Monday when he spoke to reporters.

"This is the government of farmers and workers. The government will always stand behind these classes," the chief minister said, reported the PTI.

Notably, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray had on Tuesday targeted CM Eknath Shinde for campaigning in poll-bound Telangana even though farmers in Maharashtra are suffering due to unseasonal rains.

He said preliminary information suggests that nearly 1 lakh hectares of land under cultivation in Marathwada, Vidarbha and north Maharashtra regions was affected due to unseasonal rains over the last three to four days.

Meanwhile, CM Eknath Shinde said that Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra and Naxal-hit areas in the region are transforming.

"Instead of giving jobs, we want to create job-givers. I am satisfied that Balasaheb Thackeray's dream of Maharashtra becoming a job-giver is finally coming to fruition," he said, according to the PTI.

The chief minister said Naxalism cannot be crushed only by the bullet and underlined the need to create development opportunities for the people living in the affected region.

Queried on recent incidents of Naxalite violence in Gadchiroli district, the chief minister said the C60 commando force has proved to be very effective.

"Naxalism menace in Gadchiroli is almost over. They are not getting new recruits, forcing the remaining cadres to shift their base to neighbouring Chhattisgarh," he added.

Meanwhile, Union minister Kapil Patil on Tuesday urged the chief minister to expedite the assessment of the damage caused to crops by rain and hailstorms in the Bhiwandi Lok Sabha constituency.

In a letter addressed to the chief minister, Patil said crops in Bhiwandi, Shahapur, Murbad and Wada talukas have suffered heavy losses and the paddy thrashing work was also affected.

He urged the CM to order relief for the affected farmers and due compensation.

(with PTI inputs)