‘Paid ₹2,337 crore to 32L farmers’
CM Fadnavis refutes Oppn’s charges, says compensation given to those hit by drought, pest attack and fake seeds
farmers who lost crops worth ₹3,000 crore owing to pink bollworm attack had not been given the compensation promised by the government.
The farm loan waiver, although originally worth ₹34,022 crore, had been curtailed to ₹15,000 crore, Opposition legislators said.
Replying to the claims, the CM said the companies held 44 lakh farmers eligible for financial assistance, which works out to ₹12,000 a hectare.
Fadnavis said the state gave financial assistance of ₹1,009crore, with an average compensation of ₹13,500 for a hectare, under the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), without waiting for assistance from the NDRF, to those who lost their crops to drought and pest attack.
On the Opposition’s charge that cotton farmers who lost their crops owing to bogus Genetically Modified Bt cotton seeds had not been compensated, Fadnavis said the government has received more than 8 lakh claims for compensation. Of these, nearly 1.5 lakh claims have been verified and an assistance of ₹96.3crore has been given, he said.
Other claims are being verified and the state has raised the strength of survey officials from 70 to 1,700, he said.
Earlier, an aggressive Opposition, led by its leader Radhakrishna Vikhe-patil, refused to move out of the Assembly, demanding announcement of relief package for farmers hit by crop diseases, last midnight. Vikhe-patil had warned the government that the Opposition would not move out of the Assembly until it gives details of per hectare relief package announced to cotton farmers suffering because of pink bollworm attack. Fadnavis had called them up at midnight and promised to make a statement on Tuesday.