State mulls categorising heat, coldwave as natural calamity

Maharashtra Government today said it would consider categorising damage to crops from heatwave and coldwave as loss due to "natural calamity" so that farmers become entitled for compensation.

"Crop losses due to heatwave or coldwave are not considered as loss due to natural calamity, so the farmers do not get compensation. The government will have a review as to how it can be fit into the rules," Industries Minister Narayan Rane said in the Legislative Assembly.

The issue was raised by Sudhir Mungantiwar (BJP) who mentioned that some members from both ruling and opposition benches had undertaken a day-long hunger strike on the issue, squatting on the stairs of the Vidhan Bhavan building, to highlight damage to crops due to coldwave in Vidarbha. Speaker Dilip Walse-Patil took strong objection to the members' conduct.

"The budgetary demands for Agriculture Department were discussed last Friday. The members could have talked about it on the floor of the House, rather than resorting to such tactics," he said. But Rane admitted that coldwave was not considered a natural calamity as per the rules. "I know the farmers in Vidarbha suffered heavy losses due to the coldwave," he said, adding that government would consider amending the rules.