Drought: Congress workers protest in Latur, Nanded over relief measures

Latur/Nanded, Sep 26 (PTI) Congress workers in Maharashtra’s Latur and Nanded districts protested on Saturday, accusing the government of announcing what they termed an inadequate drought relief package and excluding a few talukas from its list of affected areas.

Earlier in the day, the government declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, or 74 per cent of the state, amid rainfall deficit and announced relief measures, including crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.

During a protest in Latur, Congress workers alleged that the government offered little concrete relief to drought-hit farmers, labourers and students.

“The government has announced 12 measures, but not one of them provides substantial relief to farmers,” said the party’s Latur district president Abhay Salunkhe.

In neighbouring Nanded district, Congress workers held a protest in Mudkhed against the exclusion of two talukas from the list of drought-affected areas.

They alleged that the government had failed to include all drought-hit areas in the district despite deficient rainfall and crop losses. They demanded that the two excluded talukas be immediately brought under the drought-relief measures.

The protest came after the government included 14 talukas of Nanded district in its list of 265 talukas in Maharashtra facing drought-like conditions.