Fadnavis held interactions with farmers and widows reeling under drought and hailstorm across Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. (Source: Express Photo) Fadnavis held interactions with farmers and widows reeling under drought and hailstorm across Vidarbha and Marathwada regions. (Source: Express Photo)

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday embarked on a three-day visit to interior villages dotted across Vidarbha and Marathwada regions to personally interact with the farmers reeling under drought and hail storm.

“The government has taken the decision to address the agrarian crisis on war-footing. And financial packages along with alternative mode of work to sustain decent livelihood is the need of the hour.

“The farmers are going through a very difficult phase. The recurring drought caused huge damage to their crops. It was followed by spell of hail storm. And now the unseasonal rains have played a havoc,” said Fadnavis.

Fadnavis first stop was at Ratchandana village in Yavatmal. Later he travelled to Ghodkhindi and Pimpri village. At every village he held interactions with the local gram panchayats, villagers and widows. The 350 km journey covered by road saw the chief minister halt for the night at a villagers’ home in Pimpri in district Yavatmal. Fadnavis decided to stay in Vishnuji Rangrao Dhumne’s house at Pimpri and continue the interaction with locals to understand their problems.

The chief minister was served a simple meal of bhakri (bread) and bharit (smashed brinjals cooked with spices). Fadnavis sat on the floor along with other villagers and partook the food. The villager provided a wooden cot with a bed sheet that served as a bed for a couple of hours before the chief minister set out to other villages at the break of dawn.

Fadnavis personally saw images of fields wrecked by the recent spell of rains. Fadnavis told the villagers, “We are making effort to ensure the investment cost in the agriculture is reduced to minimise the financial losses incurred by the farmers. The short term and long term measures to tackle the agriculture crisis has been given highest priority.”

My government will ensure every farmer who is affected will receive the financial help and easy access to bank loans, he said.

Yavatmal, which is amongst the worst hit by the agrarian crisis, also houses the maximum number of farmers’ widows. Fadnavis spent a few hours with the widows who narrated their hardships and uncertainties over their future to the chief minister.

Fadnavis also explained to the farmers the policy measures taken by his government on water conservation and reforms in agriculture to enhance the irrigation potential from 18 per cent to 27 per cent ahead. He also indicated that the main cause that lead to agrarian crisis and farmer’s hardships needs to be rooted out. Almost 90 lakh farmers package worth Rs 4,200 crore has been disbursed. Of which 50 lakh farmers have been benefited, but government will provide more help to the farmers, he added.

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