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Proceedings of the Maharashtra legislative assembly on Monday were rocked by the strong demand made by ruling and opposition members for the immediate declaration of wet drought and the compensation of Rs 25,000 per hectare to the farmers affected in the Vidarbha region due to incessant rainfall and the loss to kharif crops.
Dissatisfied by the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's statement that he will make a detailed announcement next week after his visit to the affected region pandamonium prevailed. Members were also not happy with the minister for rehabilitation Patangrao Kadam's statement that the decision with regard to the formal announcement of wet drought and compensation will be taken after a three member committee carries out a detailed on the ground survey.
Dissatisfied by the chief minister Prithviraj Chavan's statement that he will make a detailed announcement next week after his visit to the affected region pandamonium prevailed. Members were also not happy with the minister for rehabilitation Patangrao Kadam's statement that the decision with regard to the formal announcement of wet drought and compensation will be taken after a three member committee carries out a detailed on the ground survey.
However, members stuck to their stand and insisted that the minister should make the necessary announcement today on the floor of the house. The issue was raised through a calling attention motion moved by BJP legislator Devendra Phadanvis and others. Phadanvis informed the house that the Vidarbha region had received a major rainfall this year and majority of districts were facing flood like situation. Farms are under heavy water and the kharif crops have been damaged.
He was supported by Congress legislators Vijay Wadattiwar and Virendra Jagtap said the situation was quite grim and the heavy rainfall is still continuing in the region. Wadattiwar noted that the reply issued by the ministry of rehabilitation based on the rainfall in June and not the present one. He and other members demanded that the reply needs to be corrected and the government should immediately announce a special package on the line of what offered to farmers from the Western Region during drought conditions. They wanted that the government should relax the existing norms. Some of the members wanted the chair to withhold the calling attention until the reply is corrected.
The deputy speaker Vasant Purke, who was on chair, adjourned the house for three times and when resumed members were shouting slogans. Purke amidt slogan shouting called the house agenda including supplementary demands and conducted the proceedings.
