The Maharashtra Mahayuti government's decision to disburse a ₹5,000 advance drought relief payment to farmers across 305 drought-affected talukas has drawn fierce condemnation from opposition parties and agricultural organisations, who have labelled the package grossly inadequate and an affront to distressed farming communities. The announcement, made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, was intended as pre-festive season support for growers facing a severe agrarian crisis — but it has instead ignited a statewide political storm and prompted the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) to announce a major protest march on Mumbai.

Opposition Leaders Condemn the Relief Package

Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Kailas Patil called the ₹5,000 relief an 'insult and mockery' of farmers battling severe hardship and inflation. Former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, an NCP (SP) leader, accused Chief Minister Fadnavis of reneging on an earlier commitment to provide blanket assistance to all affected farmers, alleging that the government has since retreated behind administrative excuses to scale back the package.

Senior Congress MLA Vijay Wadettiwar delivered one of the sharpest rebukes, stating that the ₹5,000 sum amounted to 'rubbing salt into the wounds' of struggling farmers. He highlighted that many growers had borrowed heavily from private lenders to fund cultivation, only to suffer total crop failure — leaving them with empty granaries and mounting debt ahead of the Diwali season.

Wadettiwar also questioned the state's spending priorities, asking how the government could claim fiscal constraints while simultaneously allocating thousands of crores for projects such as the upcoming Kumbh Mela and the Shaktipeeth Expressway. 'Gaining the blessings of farmers is far more important than funding the Kumbh Mela,' he said, demanding that non-essential high-budget projects be scrapped and funds redirected toward substantive farmer relief.

All India Kisan Sabha's Key Demands

In a joint statement released in Mumbai, senior AIKS leaders — including Dr Ashok Dhawale, J.P. Gavit, Dr Ajit Nawle, Yashwant Zhade, and Umesh Deshmukh — argued that ₹5,000 does not cover even the basic production costs of fertilisers, seeds, pesticides, and manual labour. The organisation stated that with agricultural supply vendors pressing for clearance of old credit, farmers are trapped in an inescapable debt cycle ahead of the festive period.

The Kisan Sabha has demanded that compensation be aligned with insured sums under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) rather than arbitrary token amounts permitted under NDRF guidelines. It has also called for the immediate disbursement of the long-delayed 9th and 10th instalments of the Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana — a combined shortfall estimated at ₹3,590 crore owed to approximately 8.9 million eligible farmer families.

Additionally, the organisation criticised a significant drop in beneficiaries under the Ladki Bahin Yojana, where reported enrolment declined from 2.47 crore to 1.66 crore, and demanded that the roughly 81,000 excluded women be reinstated and paid their pending instalments. The AIKS warned that delays in debt relief disbursement are threatening farmers' eligibility for fresh seasonal crop loans from cooperative banks.

Statewide Agitation Announced from October 26

Expressing deep discontent over unresolved issues spanning drought relief, farm loan waivers, crop insurance, and forest rights, the AIKS has announced a major statewide agitation. Beginning 26 October, thousands of farmers will rally in vehicle convoys from Akole in Ahilyanagar district, marching toward Mumbai and directly to Chief Minister Fadnavis' official residence, Varsha. Upon arriving in the capital, protesters plan to launch an indefinite Satyagraha at Azad Maidan starting 27 October.

This comes amid a broader pattern of farmer unrest in Maharashtra — the state has witnessed multiple long-march protests in recent years, including the landmark 2018 Nashik-to-Mumbai march and subsequent agitations in 2023. Each was driven by overlapping demands of loan waivers, remunerative prices, and land rights — many of which, critics argue, remain unresolved.

Government's Position

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has defended the ₹5,000 disbursement as immediate advance relief, reiterating the state's intent to transfer the amount directly into farmers' bank accounts before the festive season. He also issued strict directives to financial institutions and banks, instructing them not to carry out forced recovery actions against farmers during this period. The government has not yet detailed plans for any additional tranches or a broader relief package beyond the ₹5,000 advance.