Declare hailstorm a national calamity, says BJP

If govt declares a national calamity, Central funds can be disbursed to affected farmers

With five more farmers’ suicides reported during the previous 24 hours, the number of such cases in hailstorm-affected districts in Maharashtra has gone upto 37, the BJP said here on Tuesday, demanding that the natural disaster be declared a “national calamity”.

“The Maharashtra government does not have funds to help farmers in distress. We demand that the government declare a national calamity so that Central funds can be disbursed to affected farmers,” senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde said here.

“Since the hailstorm began on February 28, the entire rabi crop on 16 lakh hectares in 17 districts have been destroyed, including horticulture crops on two lakh hectares. There has not been such a natural calamity in Maharashtra during the last 100 years. If the government does not render timely help, hundreds of farmers will commit suicide.”

The BJP's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha said party workers would take to the streets if the Maharashtra government failed to provide a relief package to hailstorm-affected farmers within five days. The Congress-led Maharashtra government is not serious about helping hailstorm affected farmers, he said, adding that farmers committed suicide since they were not given financial assistance by the government.

The Maharashtra government is using the Model Code of Conduct in place for Lok Sabha elections as a shield to cover its inaction in helping farmers, he said.

Maharashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis said that Narendra Modi would address a public rally at Wardha in Vidarbha on March 20 and also interact with farmers in Yavatmal district.