Farmers’ task force urges state to save ryots from dry spell

Yavatmal: The Farmers Distress Management Task Force has urged the state government to take immediate steps to save farmers facing dry spell coupled with the unprecedented financial crisis.
Task force chairman Kishore Tiwari, while expressing concern over rain deficit in Vidarbha and Marathawada regions, criticized the administration for its failure to address the agrarian crisis faced by farmers, leading to day-by-day spiralling cases of suicide.
The average rainfall has fallen 19% below normal and 23 districts in the state have been placed in red zone, he said.
According to the state data, he said, the highest percentage of rain deficit during the current monsoon season pegs at 47% in Parbhani district which is a little higher than 44% of the Amravati region. “The district like Yavatmal, Sangli and Aurangabad have recorded 40% below normal rain which causes great concern to the entire farming community,” he said.
At a recent meeting held in the CMO in Mantralaya attended by the representatives of several departments have taken stock of the grave drought-like situation and decided to give compensation to the farmers hit by drought or dry spell.
Tiwari also criticized financial institutions for their reluctance to grant loan to farmers and urged the PM and the Union finance minister to have a rethink on sharing of loan waiver burden.