Uddhav Thackeray demands Rs 25k per hectare to farmers as compensation for losses

After meeting with farmers who have suffered losses following incessant rains in Aurangabad district, Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday demanded Rs 25,000 per hectare from the government to help them.

"This is the demand of Shiv Sena that the farmers should be given Rs 25,000 per hectare immediately. We will give farmers every right of theirs," Thackeray said here at a press conference.

Asserting that Sena stands firmly with the farmers in the crisis, he said: "Crops have been damaged completely due to incessant rains during the monsoon. The aid of Rs 10,000 crore sanctioned by the government is very less, therefore, we demand that every farmer should be given help at the rate of Rs 25,000 per hectare."

Thackeray said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi had come to Ausa during the 17th Lok Sabha elections, he had sought monetary help for farmers. "I now demand that the Modi government should help farmers of Maharashtra and pull them out of the crisis," he said.

Sena chief further said that one needs to meet farmers personally rather than touring around in helicopters to understand their situation.

He added that he had come to Aurangabad to thank farmers who had extended their support to 'Mahayuti' (Sena-BJP alliance) in the Assembly polls.

As negotiations to finalise the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) enters final stages, Thackeray said: "Small businesses will not sustain further. The government should make it clear how this agreement would be beneficial for the country and on what conditions it is being signed."

The RCEP is a proposed free trade agreement between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and its six Free Trade Agreement partners.

Asked if Sena will form government in Maharashtra to help farmers, Thackeray said: "You will know this in the coming days."

Taking a veiled jibe at BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis for claiming that his party will come to power for the second consecutive term, he said: "Rainy days are gone. It is my promise to free the farmers of debt. Banks should know that if they send notices to farmers then Sena is standing for them."

Earlier in the day, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut claimed that his party has the support of 170 MLAs and is capable of forming the next government in Maharashtra.Remarks from Raut come after the BJP rejected Shiv Sena's demand for sharing the chief minister's post.The current term of Maharashtra government ends on November 8. State Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar had earlier said the state might head for the President's rule if the government is not formed before November 7.In the recently concluded Assembly elections, the BJP emerged as the single largest party by winning 105 seats while the Sena emerged victorious on 56 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly.