Sanjay Raut Urges PM Modi to Declare Relief Package for Flood-Hit Farmers

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to declare immediate financial assistance for farmers devastated by recent floods in Maharashtra during his upcoming visit to Mumbai, criticising the Central Government's delayed response. Speaking to reporters here on Saturday, Raut emphasised that a comprehensive relief package should originate from Delhi, highlighting the urgent needs of agrarian communities reeling from widespread crop destruction. The appeal comes amid escalating political rhetoric ahead of Maharashtra's assembly elections, where flood recovery has emerged as a flashpoint between the ruling Mahayuti alliance and opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA).

Maharashtra's agricultural heartlands, particularly in the Vidarbha and Marathwada regions, suffered extensive damage from unseasonal heavy rains in late September, submerging over 60 lakh hectares of farmland, according to preliminary state assessments. Crops like soybean, cotton, and pulses—key to the state's Rs 3.5 lakh crore annual farm output—face near-total losses, exacerbating farmer distress in a sector already strained by erratic monsoons and debt burdens.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis acknowledged the scale earlier this week, pledging drought-like benefits, including input subsidies and crop insurance claims under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. However, he rebuffed opposition demands for a "wet drought" declaration, noting no such category exists in official guidelines, a stance Raut decried as bureaucratic foot-dragging amid calls for at least Rs 10,000 crore in central aid.

Raut's plea aligns with broader MVA criticisms of the BJP-led government's flood management, including delayed alerts and inadequate embankment reinforcements along rivers like the Godavari and Tapi. The floods, linked to climate-amplified weather patterns, displaced over 2 lakh people and caused infrastructure damage estimated at Rs 5,000 crore, per state disaster management reports.

With Modi's Mumbai itinerary including a Dussehra rally and infrastructure inaugurations, Raut framed the relief announcement as a moral imperative, urging the PM to prioritise "farmers over photo-ops". Agricultural economists echo this, warning that without swift aid, rural suicides—averaging 10,000 annually in India—could spike in Maharashtra, where 2024 saw a 15% rise per National Crime Records Bureau data.

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In a separate broadside, Raut lambasted Shiv Sena leader Ramdas Kadam for alleging delays in announcing Bal Thackeray's 2012 death and unauthorised fingerprinting of the party founder's body, calling it a "disgraceful low for personal gain". Raut, who was present during Thackeray's final hours, defended Uddhav Thackeray's loyalty to the Sena legacy, questioning Kadam's and Neelam Gorhe's contributions.

Kadam's remarks, made Thursday amid intra-party fissures, have deepened rifts in the Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, which split from Uddhav's faction in 2022, reshaping Maharashtra's political landscape. As elections loom, such exchanges underscore the Sena's enduring role in polarising voter sentiments, with flood relief poised to influence rural turnout in a state where agriculture employs 55% of the workforce.

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