Pune: Former Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, who began his tour of drought-affected villages on Friday, assured farmers battling severe drought crisis that he would raise their grievances with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.The NCP(SP) chief started his tour from his hometown of Baramati before moving to the neighbouring tehsil of Purandar, which has been declared one of the drought-affected sub-districts in Pune district. Pawar interacted with local farmers to understand their challenges and informed them that upon completing his assessment across other drought-hit areas, he would meet Fadnavis to discuss immediate relief measures.During his discussion with farmers, Pawar said, “At present, the primary challenge for farmers is to save their standing crops. There is deep concern that if it does not rain in the next few days, the crops will be completely lost.” The affected farmers requested the veteran leader to advocate for immediate availability of drinking water, fodder for cattle, and direct monetary assistance for crop damage.Pawar has already written two letters to Fadnavis outlining several structural suggestions to mitigate the drought conditions. He has also urged the state govt to convene a special assembly session to debate the crisis and implement relief measures. Further, the former agriculture minister has demanded that the govt provide Rs1 lakh per hectare in compensation to the affected farmers.“I have suggested to the chief minister that he gather direct feedback from the ground to understand the farmers’ immediate requirements. I will also be meeting him soon to see if a comprehensive relief plan can be chalked out,” Pawar assured the farmers.
