Govt accused of bias in ex-gratia for Marathwada

Fadnavis and Shinde had raised the sum up to three times in earlier years; state is now reviewing its numbers

MUMBAI: As farmers come to terms with colossal losses to their homes, fields and cattle in flood-ravaged Marathwada, the state faces accusations of bias in compensating villagers in this largely backward region.

Aerial view of the inundated Devgaon village in Dharashiv district, which was cut off after being pummeled by heavy rain. (Raju Shinde/ HT Photo)

Opposition leaders and some from the ruling parties are pointing to glaring disparities in the ex-gratia payment offered to Marathwada’s farmers, compared to robust packages given to farmers in Western Maharashtra, after floods in the Kolhapur-Sangli region in 2019. Subsequent packages too offered higher ex-gratia sums, leaving Marathwada’s farmers hurting from what they believe is blatant discrimination.

On the backfoot after the opposition demanded ex-gratia of ₹50,000 per hectare for Marathwada, the state government is reconsidering the numbers, says Vinita Vaid Singal, principal secretary, relief and rehabilitation department. “The demand is being reviewed by chief minister Devendra Fandnavis and both the deputy chief ministers. A decision is likely to be taken by the government soon,” she said.

Currently, the state has announced ex-gratia of ₹8,500 per hectare for crops lost in rain-fed areas; ₹17,000 per hectare for crops on irrigated land; and ₹22,500 for the loss of perennial crops. These figures align with an order issued in March 2023, revising a 2015 order that pegged the figures at ₹6,800, ₹13,500 and ₹18,000 per hectare, respectively, for farmers across the state.

However, after the 2019 floods in Kolhapur-Sangli floods, the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government had provided ex-gratia up to three times the then standing orders. With just a couple of months to go before the elections, Fadnavis had also announced a package amounting to ₹4,708 crore.

In September 2022, the Eknath Shinde-led government had doled out ex-gratia to farmers in the state, amounting to ₹13,600, ₹27,000 and ₹36,000 respectively – double the then standing order. Shinde had also raised the limit of land holdings that could qualify for compensation, from 2 hectares to 3 hectares, so that a larger number of farmers could benefit.

The recent downpour in Marathwada had marooned entire villages and washed away hundreds of homes. When farmers began to return from temporary shelters, large numbers of them found their houses filled with mud and debris, their fields caked with mud, and cattle dead.

Despite the scale of the devastation, the state has offered Marathwada’s flood-affected villagers just ₹10,000 per family. It’s the sum the government believes will help them rebuild their lives. The state has not specifically announced ex-gratia for houses that have been destroyed. Worse, the cap on land holdings has been reversed to 2 hectares.

In stark contrast, in 2019, the government had increased compensation for the submerged homes to ₹24,000 and ₹36,000, for rural and urban areas. It had also waived outstanding loans of farmers who had sustained losses in the floods.

The Kolhapur flood-affected were also given grants for houses under various government schemes including Ramai and PM Awas Yojana, whereas there has been no such announcement for Marathwada’s farmers.

“The floods in July 2019 were just weeks ahead of assembly elections and the government was roundly criticised for its delayed response in mitigation. The state eventually offered financial assistance even to small-time vendors, traders and hawkers for their losses,” recalled an official from the state revenue department.

“The losses to the people of Marathwada are much greater than those suffered in the 2019 and subsequent floods,” said Sandeep Deshmukh Baradkar, a Nanded-based activist and Nirbhay Bano Andolan convenor.

“The CM had announced ex-gratia of ₹2,200 crore in the first phase, but that was the old rate, and it was much lower than the ex-gratia given since 2019. This is a case where compensation has actually been reduced by the government,” said Baradkar. “Moreover, in 2019, the central government had even sent teams to assess losses, and ministers visited flood-affected areas, but no such steps have been taken for Marathwada.”

A demand for fair compensation for Marathwada’s affected farmers has been raised by Nanded MP Ravindra Chavan (Congress), while former Union minister Suryakanta Patil is demanding a revision in the ex-gratia sum. Rajesh Pawar, the BJP’s Naigaon (Nanded) MLA, has met Fadnavis with a similar demand.