HC frowns at shocking indifference towards drought-hit farmers

Coming down heavily on its “callous, and indifferent” approach towards distressed farmers, the Bombay High Court here slammed the Maharashtra government and its officials for refusing to provide relief to poor farmers and their dependents in Amravati division of Eastern Vidarbha region.

Going a step further, the High Court directed the state government to immediately include 6147 villages of four districts–Amravati (1,967), Akola (997), Yavatmal (970), Washim (793)–in the list of drought affected villages based on their “Anewari” (a method of calculating crop yield by the revenue department).

About 1,420 villages of Buldana districts have been included in the list from original figure of zero. These villages will get the benefit as per GR dated October 20, 2015 about concessions offered to drought affected villages.

A division bench here consisting of justices Bhushan Gavai and Prasanna Varale on Friday while giving a wake up call to state government over plight of farmers, wondered as to why revised report of Divisional Commissioner (Amravati) is not enforced in four districts and particularly in farmers suicide-hit Yavatmal district and only in respect of Buldana district.