Maharashtra CM orders panchnama of rain-hit crops

The panchnama is carried out to assess crop losses incurred by a farmer, following which a compensation is offered

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday ordered a panchnama of crops hit by the withdrawing monsoon, especially in Vidarbha and Khandesh regions of the state.

The panchnama is carried out to assess losses incurred by a farmer and to compensate him accordingly.

“The chief minister, during the course of Cabinet meet directed officials to immediately start the process of panchnama of crop losses due to withdrawing monsoon,” an official source said.

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis recently, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde had said that Marathwada, Vidarbha and Khandesh regions saw spells of heavy showers and a few places had hailstorms too.

"Large tracts of standing crops have been destroyed due to rains. In Marathwada, soybean, corn, cotton, moong and urad crops have been ruined," the NCP leader had said.

Cotton and soybean crops have been hit in Vidarbha, Munde had further said.

The official further said the chief minister has also directed all the district guardian ministers to visit their respective places and ensure that the cotton procurement registration system takes place smoothly.

"Guardian ministers have been tasked with ensuring that cotton growing farmers do not face any kind of troubles in the procurement process," the official said.