Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Nov 5 (PTI) A farmer from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra on Wednesday claimed to have received only Rs 6 as compensation from the government for the crop losses
he suffered as a result of heavy rains and subsequent flooding.
The farmer, Digambar Sudhakar Tangde, is a resident of Dawarwadi village in Paithan taluka.
Tangde spoke to reporters at Nandar village in Paithan on the sidelines of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit as part of the latter's tour of Marathwada region, during which he is interacting with farmers.
Recently, farmers in some villages in Akola district of the state claimed to have received as little as Rs 3 and Rs 21 as compensation under a central insurance scheme for the crop losses they suffered due to heavy rains, and called the aid as "insulting" and "mockery" of their plight.
The farmers, who received assistance under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), later staged a protest at the district collector's office and returned the amounts through cheques.
Tangde said, "I have just two acres of land. I got a message that Rs 6 have been credited into my bank account. The government should be ashamed of paying so little. This amount is not even sufficient to buy me a cup of tea. The government has played a big joke on the farmers."
"We need a loan waiver and the government is playing such jokes on farmers by crediting Rs 6 to my account. We have nothing to do with politics. But at least (former CM) Uddhav Thackeray provided a loan waiver during his tenure. This government also announced it earlier, but did nothing," he said.
People have been waiting for compensation for the last two months. Now they are sending such amounts, he said.
Farmers in parts of the state, especially some districts of Marathwada region, suffered extensive crop losses due to heavy rains and flooding in August-September.
The state government last month announced a compensation package of Rs 31,628 crore for the affected farmers. It includes compensation for crop losses, soil erosion, hospitalisation of injured persons, ex-gratia for next-of-kin, damage to houses, shops and cattle sheds, among others. PTI AW NP
