Maharashtra’s decision to provide Rs 5,000 in interim drought assistance to farmers across 305 drought-hit tehsils has triggered strong criticism in Nashik, with cultivators saying the payment is far below their crop losses, input costs and outstanding debts.
The state government plans to disburse the assistance through direct benefit transfer before Diwali. The package has been presented as immediate support for drought-affected farmers while the state awaits additional assistance from the Centre. Farmers in Nashik district, however, said the amount would do little to help households facing damaged kharif crops and worsening water shortages ahead of the rabi season.
Kailash Kande, a farmer from drought-hit Nandgaon taluka, said the government often intervened when onion prices rose but failed to provide comparable support when prices collapsed or drought destroyed crops. “Now they are offering just Rs 5,000. What difference will it make?” he asked.
Farmers said their spending on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, land preparation and labour had already made cultivation considerably more expensive. Deepika Chavan, a former MLA and former member of the state women’s commission, said farming input costs could reach Rs 1 lakh per hectare, making the announced assistance inadequate. She criticised the relief as a “cruel joke” and challenged political leaders to manage Diwali expenses with only Rs 5,000.
Rajesh Mhaisdhune from Niphad said the payment would not cover pending fertiliser bills, let alone compensate farmers for crop losses. The financial pressure has been compounded by existing debt and demands from private lenders and agricultural traders, according to farmers cited in the report.
The distress is also linked to the next agricultural cycle. With water scarcity threatening the rabi season, cultivators fear that losses from the kharif crop will be followed by another period of lower production and additional borrowing. Manohar Borse from Satana said farmers needed help with clearing dues and substantial recovery support rather than what he described as symbolic assistance.
The dispute highlights the administrative gap between announcing interim relief and restoring farm incomes after a drought. The state government has defended the Rs 5,000 payment as an immediate measure through direct transfers, while farmers argue that the amount does not reflect the cost of cultivation or the scale of damage reported across affected parts of Nashik. Further central assistance is expected, but no amount or disbursement timeline for that support was specified in the report.
