Mumbai, June 25 (IANS) In a heated showdown in the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly on Thursday, the lawmakers cornered Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharane over what they termed a “paltry” financial compensation package announced for mango and cashew cultivators from the Konkan region hit by unseasonal rains and climate change.

Tempers flared during the session as legislators labeled the proposed compensation criteria “paltry” and accused the administration of brushing aside the plight of Konkan’s farming community.

The confrontation escalated when Shiv Sena (Shinde faction) MLA, Nilesh Rane, fiercely criticised the Agriculture Minister on the floor. “Are you just going to tell us anything and expect us to quietly listen? Are you trying to trick our farmers by handing them a pittance per hectare?” he asked and demanded a compensation of Rs 1,70,000 per hectare for mango growers and Rs 1,20,000 per hectare for cashew growers.

The backlash was triggered by the state’s proposal to allocate a standard National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) package of Rs 209 crore across the Konkan division.

Rane challenged the math behind the numbers, pointing out that dividing the total package by the massive number of affected farmers leaves individuals with negligible, insulting sums. Rane formally demanded a compensation of Rs 1,70,000 per hectare for mango growers and Rs 1,20,000 per hectare for cashew growers.

Furthermore, he claimed that counterfeit pesticides had exacerbated the crop damage.

Minister Bharane counter-argued that joint assessments by the Agriculture Department and the Balasaheb Sawant Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (Agricultural University) established climate change and erratic weather as the true causes.

However, Rane sharply questioned the transparency of this assessment, demanding to know the exact dates, locations, and personnel involved in the surveys, pointing out that official paperwork was delayed until the Assembly session neared.

As per the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) norms, financial assistance of Rs 22,500 per hectare will be provided.

The government has submitted a relief proposal worth Rs 209 crore for the affected farmers of the Konkan division, said the minister. District-wise breakdown of the proposed NDRF aid comprises Ratnagiri Rs 98.45 crore for 52,628 farmers, Sindhudurg Rs 79.05 crore for 42,322 farmers, Raigad around Rs 20.28 crore for nearly 17,000 farmers, Palghar Rs 6.83 crore for 17,712 farmers and Thane Rs 4.84 crore for 4,669 farmers.

In addition to the NDRF aid, mango and cashew growers will receive around Rs 217 crore under the Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme, said the minister.

Minister Bharne clarified that the government is taking all necessary steps to ensure that both the NDRF assistance and the approved insurance payouts are directly credited to the farmers’ bank accounts within the next 15 days.

Joining the attack, MLA Shekhar Nikam stated that the ground reality report for Ratnagiri was submitted on June 10, confirming widespread devastation.

Dismissing the NDRF figures as highly inadequate, he demanded a baseline assistance of at least Rs 1,00,000 per hectare. He also pressured the government to convert medium-term agricultural loans into direct crop loans and issue an immediate debt waiver for the region.

As the uproar intensified, Konkan lawmakers threatened to paralyse proceedings, continuing their protest even after the Speaker called for the next question.

To break the deadlock, Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane intervened. He assured the aggressive Assembly that the government recognises the exceptional nature of the losses.

“The government is fully prepared to look beyond standard NDRF caps. I assure this House that our mango and cashew growers will receive an unprecedented financial package, the likes of which has never been granted before,” Minister Nitesh Rane declared, pacifying the protesting members and bringing the discussion to a close.

–IANS

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