Sharad Pawar discriminating against hailstorm-hit farmers: Gopinath Munde

BEED: Senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde today alleged that Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has discriminated against farmers hit by hailstorm in the region by not writing off their loans.

"Pawar ignored our demand for loan waiver for farmers. But in 2005, Pawar had announced writing off of debts of farmers..Has he forgotten that?", Munde said in a press conference.

"The unseasonal rains and hailstorms have caused a heavy damage to crops on about 18 lakh hectares, killed cattle and destroyed other farmland properties," Munde said.

The Central government had stepped in 2005 by writing off loans, but now it has not announced any aid to hapless farmers.

Maharashtra government has already decided to provide a special package of Rs 4,000 crore to farmers whose crops were hit by unseasonal hailstorms recently.

Munde said this help is "fractional" considering the extent of damage.

"Government has declared that farmers whose crop on more than 50 hectares is damaged will not get any aid but only those farmers whose affected area is below 50 hectares will. This is ridiculous," Munde said.

Munde, who represents Beed constituency and current nominee for Lok Sabha polls, said crops on 18 lakh hectares are damaged by hailstorm in the district alone.

He demanded that hailstorms be declared the natural calamity.