Mumbai : Following the decision to impose a levy on sugarcane in mills to provide relief for the farmers affected by floods through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF), NCP (SP) Chief Sharad Pawar has accused the Maharashtra government of making “sugarcane cultivators” contribute to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF) instead of helping rain-hit farmers on its own.
He has requested the State Government to reconsider the imposition of a levy on sugarcane mills. “I am surprised that the Maharashtra government decided to charge an extra levy from sugarcane cultivators to provide financial assistance to Marathwada farmers hit by floods. I request the government to reconsider its decision”, Pawar said.
Several farm leaders, including Raju Shetti, Congress MLC Satej Patil, and NCP (SP) MLA Rohit Pawar, have opposed the levy, calling it “unfair” and a “financial burden”.
The government last week decided to impose a levy of ₹10 per tonne of sugarcane on mills for the CMRF and ₹5 per tonne for assistance to flood-affected farmers.
The government maintains that the measure was necessary to provide immediate relief to flood-affected families in the Marathwada region, which was the worst-hit area by rains and floods.
