Govt will provide all possible help to rain-hit farmers in Maharashtra: Amit Shah
Union home minister Amit Shah said the Centre stands firmly with the farming community and will extend timely compensation once the state government submits its formal damage assessment.
PUNE: Union home and cooperation minister Amit Shah on Sunday assured that the central government will provide financial assistance to farmers in Maharashtra who have suffered extensive crop losses due to excessive rainfall.
Addressing a public function in Pravaranagar in Ahilyanagar district of Maharashtra, Shah said the Centre “stands firmly with the farming community” and will extend timely compensation once the state government submits its formal damage assessment.
“I had a detailed meeting with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis and both deputy chief ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar. On behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, I assured them that once a detailed report is submitted to us, PM Modi will not delay extending any help to Maharashtra’s farmers,” Shah said, adding that Maharashtra government can submit a detailed report on the extent of crop damage at the earliest.
Shah was speaking after inaugurating the Renovation of the Padma Shree Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil Cooperative Sugar Factory in Pravara Nagar. He also unveiled statues of Padma Shri Dr. Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil — the pioneer of India’s cooperative movement — and former Union minister Padma Bhushan Dr. Balasaheb Vitthalrao Vikhe Patil.
Heavy rains during the last week of September caused huge damage to farms in Ahilyanagar, Marathwada region, and Solapur district.
Around 60 lakh hectares of farmland have been affected by heavy rains and flood. Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis approached the Centre seeking a relief package.
Highlighting the district’s historical role in the cooperative movement, Shah said, “The land of Maharashtra has always been known for its hardworking farmers and strong cooperative institutions. The Centre will not let their hard work go in vain.”
He noted that unseasonal and excessive rains this year have damaged crops on over 60 lakh hectares across the state. “The central government has already released ₹3,132 crore to Maharashtra under various share payments for 2025–26, including ₹1,631 crore disbursed in April under Prime Minister Modi’s direction,” he added.
Shah lauded the Maharashtra government for its relief measures, including a ₹2,215 crore package for affected districts, direct cash assistance of ₹10,000 to each affected farmer, and distribution of 25 kg of food grains to eligible families. He also commended the state’s decision to suspend loan recoveries in severely affected regions.
Referring to the leadership of Fadnavis and his deputies, Shah said, “Maharashtra’s trimurti of leaders — Fadnavis, Shinde, and Pawar — are not ‘Baniyas’ by community, but they are no less when it comes to financial prudence. They invited me here and asked what the Centre would do for farmers in distress. Yesterday, we had a detailed meeting, after which I assured them of the Centre’s full cooperation once the assessment report is in.”
Fadnavis, Shinde, Pawar, Union minister of state Murlidhar Mohol, water resources minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, rural development minister Jaykumar Gore, and BJP state president Ravindra Chavan were also present at the event.
