Fadnavis defends ₹5,000 drought aid as Shinde's Sena pledges help before Diwali

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Saturday defended his government’s ₹5,000 advance relief for drought-hit farmers and turned on the Opposition leaders who have mocked the amount. Hours later his deputy, Eknath Shinde, promised that the Shiv Sena would stand by farming families across the state as Diwali nears.

The government has declared drought in 305 of Maharashtra’s 358 talukas after a weak monsoon, adding 40 talukas to the list this week. On Wednesday Fadnavis announced that an initial ₹5,000 would be paid directly into farmers’ bank accounts before the festival.

“Our farmers know the value”

Speaking to reporters in Wardha, where he received an honorary D.Litt. at the 17th convocation of the Adani Institute of Higher Education and Research in Sawangi, Fadnavis said leaders who live in huge bungalows, ride in costly cars and run several institutions could never understand what ₹5,000 is worth.

“I understand the farmers’ suffering. Compared with that suffering, Rs 5,000 is not a large amount,” he said. “Our farmers know the value of Rs 5,000.” He compared the criticism with the Opposition’s response to the Ladki Bahin scheme, which paid women ₹1,500, and said “the Ladki Bahins knew the value of Rs 1,500.”

Opposition leaders, including from the Congress, have asked how farmers can celebrate Diwali on ₹5,000. Fadnavis said it was the first time the state had paid such relief this early; farmers had not earlier received help before December. Because National Disaster Response Fund rules did not allow quick release, the state paid an advance, he said. Small farmers who would earlier have got at least ₹1,000 will now get at least ₹5,000, with the balance paid when compensation is released.

He said Congress-ruled Karnataka had paid ₹2,500 despite severe drought there, and that Congress leaders who had pointed to Karnataka’s government resolution had since gone quiet.

Fees, loans and power bills

Fadnavis listed other steps. A 1992 resolution restricting fee waivers for farmers’ children has been withdrawn, so fee exemption now applies to everyone in the affected areas. District central cooperative banks and credit societies have been warned against coercive loan recovery, and similar moves for private lenders are under way. There will be no coercive recovery of pending electricity bills, and farm pumps of up to 7.5 HP get free power under state policy.

Shinde at a scaled-down Navratri

Shinde was in Dombivli near Thane on Saturday night at a Navratri celebration at the DNC School ground, where organisers said they had cut back the festivities in view of farmers’ hardships. Sena leaders and others handed him relief cheques at the event.

He said the party would extend all possible help to drought-hit farmers and their families. Women from affected households will be given sewing machines for a steady livelihood, and the party will help pay for the weddings of farmers’ daughters. Trucks carrying ration kits will be sent to drought areas during the Sena’s annual Dussehra rally, he said, and he urged citizens and community leaders to help families in distress.