Revenue department demands GPS photos for crop aid

Lokmat News Network

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Farmers in the region are reeling after the Revenue Department made it mandatory to submit GPS-tagged photos of damaged crops to claim government compensation. The move has left many distressed, as weeks have passed since heavy rains destroyed their fields.

In the last week of September, unseasonal downpours ruined maize, cotton, tur, soybean, and fruit orchards just as farmers were ready to harvest. The government announced Rs 18,500 per hectare as compensation for crop losses and separate relief for orchards. However, officials now insist that farmers provide GPS-based photos of the damaged crops for verification. Farmers argue that the damage occurred three weeks ago, making it impossible to take such photos now. “The crops are already cleared for Rabi sowing how can we show proof of the past damage?” they ask. With Diwali around the corner, many farmers worry about managing expenses as they’ve yet to recover even their sowing costs. Despite the festive holidays, Agricultural Supervisor Rajendra Kaware, Revenue Officer Jaishali Mundhe, and Agricultural Assistant from the Ladsawangi circle have been inspecting fields and fruit orchards. But uncertainty continues farmers still don’t know when the compensation lists will be released or how long the process will take. They have appealed to senior authorities to simplify the procedure and release immediate, collective compensation so they can celebrate Diwali without financial strain.