Farmers claim of getting only ₹6-21 as part of crop loss compensation from Maharashtra govt

Farmers in the western Indian state of Maharashtra have claimed that they have been receiving only ₹3, 6, and 21, respectively, as compensation from the government for crop losses suffered due to heavy rains and subsequent flooding.

In one such instance, today, a farmer from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district in Maharashtra claimed to have received only ₹6 as compensation from the government.

The farmer, Digambar Sudhakar Tangde, is a resident of Dawarwadi village in Paithan taluka.

Tangde spoke to reporters at Nandar village in Paithan on the sidelines of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit as part of the latter's tour of Marathwada region, during which he is interacting with farmers.

“ I have just two acres of land. I got a message that ₹6 had been credited into my bank account. The government should be ashamed of paying so little. This amount is not even enough to buy a cup of tea," Tangde said, adding, "The government has played a big joke on the farmers."

The issue of meagre compensation amounts is not limited to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Recently, several farmers in Akola district claimed to have received as little as ₹3 and ₹21 under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) for losses due to heavy rains.

Calling the payments "insulting," they protested at the district collector's office and returned the cheques.

People have been waiting for compensation for the last two months. Delay or not getting promised compensation has led to many farmers committing suicide.

According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2023 report, Maharashtra accounted for the highest share of farmer suicides in India at 38.5 per cent.

As per official records, over 39,800 farmers have died by suicide in Maharashtra since 2001.

In the first three months of 2025 (January-March), a total of 767 farmer suicides were reported across the state.

The Marathwada region alone registered 520 farmer suicides between January and June 2025, a 20 per cent increase from the same period in 2024.

Beed district topped the list in Marathwada, while the Amravati division in Vidarbha also recorded 557 suicides between January and June 2024.
The state government last month announced a compensation package of Rs 31,628 crore for the affected farmers.

It includes compensation for crop losses, soil erosion, hospitalisation of injured persons, compensation for family, damage to houses, shops, and cattle sheds, among others.

The floods, which struck even the traditionally drought-prone regions, damaged farmland across 29 of Maharashtra’s 36 districts — an estimated 6.8 million hectares.

Nearly 60,000 hectares of agricultural land were completely washed away, along with the topsoil.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had described the relief package as the “historic and highest” disbursal of compensation in the state’s history.
Of the total amount, ₹17,675 crore will go towards crop compensation.