Maharashtra ministers, MPs and MLAs on Saturday stoked controversy after a video of them eating dry fruits at a meeting convened to review the drought situation in Marathwada region went viral, with the opposition hitting out at the state government over its "insensitivity".
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis claimed the local administration is responsible for the arrangement of snacks but added that such matters during key meetings must be tackled with sensitivity.
The incident took place during a meeting chaired by agriculture minister Dattatray Bhame in Nanded, to discuss the worsening situation in Marathwada region due to deficient rainfall.
Deep Dive
What are the main crops affected by the drought in Marathwada?
Why did Maharashtra leaders eating dry fruits at a drought review meeting cause controversy?
How much rainfall has Marathwada received so far this monsoon season compared to the average?
Marathwada received 424.5 mm of rainfall between June and September so far, which is 69.2% of the average 679.5 mm rainfall recorded in these four months. Last year, Marathwada received 119% of its average rainfall.
As a video of ministers Atul Save and Meghna Bordikar, as well as MPs and MLAs, eating cashew nuts and almonds went viral, opposition leaders hit out at the state government over its “insensitive” act.
"Farmers have lost their crops due to rain deficit, and are facing drinking water shortages too. Over 400 farmers died by suicide in the Marathwada region. In such situations, these leaders eating cashews and almonds shows their insensitivity towards the farmers and the drought situation," said Ambadas Danve, legislator from Shiv Sena (UBT).
{{/usCountry}}"Farmers have lost their crops due to rain deficit, and are facing drinking water shortages too. Over 400 farmers died by suicide in the Marathwada region. In such situations, these leaders eating cashews and almonds shows their insensitivity towards the farmers and the drought situation," said Ambadas Danve, legislator from Shiv Sena (UBT).
{{/usCountry}}Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, however, said the administration makes arrangements for the snacks to be served in government meetings. He added that the administration must show some sensitivity while making such arrangements.
"No one would have made this mistake deliberately. But the administration needs to show sensitivity while making arrangements in such situations," he told mediapersons.
Shiv Sena minister Sanjay Shirsat echoed similar sentiments. “It's the fault of the administration. We are facing criticisms for someone else’s mistakes,” he said.
While the official panchnama of crop damage is yet to be carried out, agriculture department officials estimate at least 25% of the standing crops in eight districts of Marathwada to have been damaged due to a prolonged dry spell.
This Kharif season, crops such as soybean, cotton and maize were sown across 47.69 lakh hectares in Marathwada’s eight districts — Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Beed, Jalna, Nanded, Parbhani, Hingoli, Dharashiv and Latur. According to agriculture department officials, a sizeable portion of the soybean crop across the region has completely dried up, with leaves turning pale yellow due to a lack of moisture in the soil.
Cotton crops too have shown stunted growth, which is likely to affect productivity. The condition of other crops including maize and tur is also poor, officials said.
Apart from Marathwada, all five districts in the Amravati division have also been severely affected by the protracted dry spell. “The Amravati division has so far received 72% of its average rainfall of over 693 mm between June and September,” officials said.