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On visit to flood-affected areas, Thackeray says financial aid after assessment; farmers unhappy with his visit
CM asks farmers to stay alert in view of IMD prediction of heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of state in next three days.
Daund/Akkalkot: Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said he will announce financial assistance to farmers in next few days once the ground level assessment by administration is complete.
Thackeray, who visited flood-affected parts of Solapur district, asked farmers to stay alert in view of India Meteorological Department’s prediction of heavy to very heavy rainfall in parts of state in next three days.
“I will not make any announcement about the financial aid today. The Panchanamas are on and once it is complete, government will make an announcement. The danger of heavy rainfall in the state still persists as IMD has forecast of heavy rain in next two-three days. Therefore, I would like to urge everyone to stay cautious,” Thackeray said while addressing press conference. He was accompanied by state revenue minister Balasaheb Thorat and other ministers in the Mahavikas Aghadi government.
Thackeray also handed over cheques of financial aid to the relatives of those who died in the rain fury in Solapur district.
Farmers and their representatives, however, expressed disappointment over “no announcement” about aid by CM as they fear the process to complete assessment may take days.
Gajanan Gunaware, sarpanch, Swami Chincholi village in Daund taluka which is also affected the most, said, “Farmers had taken loans for farming and this was the season to get the benefit out of the crops, but floods washed away everything. The state government should immediately waive off farm loans. Political party leaders, including the CM, will just visit, say a few words and go away. We have to survive here for years and need a permanent solution to this flood situation.”
Earlier in the day, Thackeray visited Sangvi Khurd village in Akkalkot tehsil of Solapur district to assess loss to crops and property. The farmers in the village expressed disappointment as the chief minister has decided to take review of loss to crop from the bridge on Bhori river instead of visiting fields.
Asha Dattatray Awate, president of village Mahila Bachat Group said, “The entire village has suffered due to floods and we were hoping to talk to CM and tell him our problems. But the police didn’t allow us to talk to him. We repeatedly requested them to allow us only for 2 minutes, but none of them listened to us. Most families in the village have suffered due to heavy rains and we are left with no food grain and money. The only option for us is to commit suicide.”
Heavy rains last week destroyed crops on over 1 lakh hectares while 48 persons lost their lives in Marathwada, Western Maharashtra and Konkan regions. Following the rain fury, Thackeray had come under criticism of not stepping out of Matoshree, his residence.
Another villager Shivaji Pandurang Machale said, “Thackeray came with full police bandobast and hundreds of political party leaders and their workers. He just stopped on the Bori River bridge, spoke to some of the villagers on the other side of the bridge where the damage is nominal and left. The maximum damage of houses and farms is on the other side, more than 115 houses are completely damaged and around 100 acres with standing crop are washed away.”
