Mumbai, Oct 3 (IANS) The Congress on Friday held statewide protests demanding immediate aid for farmers hit hard due to heavy rains and floods. It also demanded that the state government should declare a wet drought, provide immediate assistance of Rs 50,000 per hectare to affected farmers, announce a blanket loan waiver, waive pending electricity bills, and grant additional compensation for farmland that has been washed away.

The Congress in a release accused the BJP-led MahaYuti government in Maharashtra of merely indulging in rhetoric despite heavy losses suffered by farmers due to excessive rains. Ironically, farmers have yet to receive any form of relief.

In Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, demonstrations were held in front of the District Collector’s office on behalf of the District and City Congress Committees.

Several office-bearers, including MP Dr Kalyan Kale, District President Kiran Patil Donagavkar, City President Sheikh Yusuf, former MLA Namdevrao Pawar, and Pradesh Seva Dal President Vilas Autade, were present.

Under the leadership of Chandrapur MP Pratibha Dhanorkar, Congress staged a chakka jam protest in Warora for the demands of farmers and the common people. Farmers gathered for the agitation held on the Nagpur-Chandrapur highway.

They demanded a special package for soybean farmers of Chandrapur district, compensation of Rs 1 lakh per hectare for cotton farmers, and Rs 2.5 lakh per hectare for soybean farmers.

Chandrapur City (District) Congress Committee President Ritesh Tiwari, along with Congress leaders, workers, farmers, and local citizens, attended in large numbers.

Protests were also held at the district and taluka levels in Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Nagpur Rural, Jalna, Latur, Wardha, Ratnagiri, and other parts of the state. Demonstrators raised slogans against the farmer-hostile BJP Mahayuti government and submitted memorandums to the administration, said the release.

–IANS

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