Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde visited rain-affected areas of Nashik district to review losses faced by farmers and directed officials to conduct panchnamas (assessment) of crop damage speedily and provide relief.
Earlier too we have given more compensation than mandated under National Disaster Response Fund rules. We increased damage area limit from two hectares to three hectares. We gave Rs 350 per hectare grant to onion growers. We also decided to give Rs 6,000 to farmers just like the PM KISAN scheme of the Centre, Shinde added.
Shinde visited Dholbare, Nitane, Bijot and Akhatwade villages in Satana taluka accompanied by district guardian minister Dada Bhuse and senior officials.
Queried on his Ayodhya visit and some opposition parties attacking the timing of it when the state was witnessing rains, the CM said, The hailstorm occurred on Sunday. Should I have come before that? They (opposition) do not have any work. He claimed he had prayed for the wellbeing of farmers during his visit to Ayodhya on Sunday since the cultivator is at the centre of the food chain and it was imperative that all calamities are removed from his life to usher in prosperity in the state and country.
CM’s tour of Satana taluka in the district comes a day after his Ayodhya visit and amid attacks from the opposition that he was out of the state when unseasonal rains accompanied by hailstorm and lightning had damaged crops in several districts.