Maharashtra agrarian crisis massive: Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti

NAGPUR: Standing crop on more than two million hectares in Maharashtra has been damaged due to "unprecedented" agrarian crisis, Vidarbha Jan Andolan Samiti has said.

Though the state government has declared 123 talukas in the state as "drought-hit", it has "failed" to take into consideration the distress prevailing on 90 lakh hectares, the Samiti president Kishore Tiwari said in a statement here.

Demanding a Central assessment to the damage to standing crops of cotton, soya and paddy in Vidarbha, Marathwada, Konkan and in northern Maharashtra, Tiwari demanded a special financial package.

The state government has already sought an aid of Rs 2,275 crore for completion of 105 irrigation projects, including 35 in Vidharbha, 40 in Marathwada, and 30 in rest of the state, he said.