Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) President Sharad Pawar on Friday, 2 October 2025, undertook a ground-level tour of drought-affected areas in Pune district, visiting farmlands across the talukas of Baramati, Purandar, and Daund to directly assess crop damage and hear grievances from distressed farmers. Speaking to villagers in Parinche village in Purandar taluka, Pawar demanded an immediate 100 per cent farm loan waiver and urgent state relief measures.

Ground Realities in the Field

Pawar walked through affected farmlands to witness the scale of agricultural losses firsthand. At Parinche, he told the gathering: 'The lack of rainfall has made survival a challenge for both farmers and livestock. On September 27, I wrote to the Chief Minister demanding that Purandar and other excluded talukas be formally declared drought-hit. My priority right now is pushing the government to take fast action to save the remaining standing crops.'

He stressed that while the Maharashtra state government has officially declared drought across 265 talukas, several severely affected regions — including Purandar — remain outside the official assistance framework, leaving their residents without access to relief.

What Pawar Demanded

Pawar has submitted a 17-point relief package to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis through a formal letter. His key demands include:

A complete waiver of all agricultural and allied loans — covering cooperative, nationalised, urban, and social welfare financial institutions — for farmers, farm labourers, self-help groups (SHGs), and micro-enterprises. He also called for the full write-off of agricultural pump electricity bills, a strict ban on power disconnections or load-shedding in drought-hit areas, and fee exemptions for school and college students from affected families.

On direct financial relief, Pawar demanded an immediate disbursement of ₹1,00,000 per hectare for farmers and ₹25,000 for landless agricultural labourers. He further sought 25 kg of free foodgrains per family for farm labourers and agricultural households, along with direct subsidy credits for livestock care.

He also called for relaxing Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (formerly MGNREGA) norms to fast-track local employment works within a 3 km radius of demand, and for the delegation of authority to issue drinking water tankers — for both citizens and livestock — directly to Tehsildars.

Pawar Assures Meeting with CM Fadnavis

Pawar told villagers that he has already been in contact with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who reportedly agreed to consider ground-level feedback. 'I informed the Chief Minister that I am personally touring villages to collect input. I assure you that I will meet him shortly, present your issues, and push for a swift resolution,' he said at Parinche.

The veteran politician confirmed he would personally meet Fadnavis to place the demands of affected communities directly before the administration, underlining that the scale of the crisis requires state-level policy intervention rather than piecemeal relief.

Call for Special Legislature Session

In a significant political escalation, Pawar urged Chief Minister Fadnavis to convene a three-day special session of the Maharashtra State Legislature dedicated exclusively to deliberating the drought situation. He insisted that all pending scheme dues be released to beneficiaries and that all relief funds be routed directly to Divisional Commissioners and District Collectors to cut bureaucratic delays.

Pawar also demanded urgent economic aid and water tanker supplies for affected fruit orchards — including banana, sugarcane, and paddy crops — and pressed the government to complete all disbursal before the upcoming Dussehra and Diwali festival seasons. The coming weeks will be critical in determining whether Maharashtra's political establishment responds with the urgency that affected farming communities are demanding.