Mumbai, Oct 1 (PTI) The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) on Friday threatened an agitation if proper compensation was not given to farmers affected by heavy rains and flooding in several parts of Maharashtra.

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In a press statement, it said 12 lakh hectares of Kharif crops have been destroyed due to inclement weather brought about by Cyclone Gulab, and demanded that the state and Union governments transfer Rs 50,000 per hectare to affected farmers as emergency aid and then give out the entire compensation after carrying out proper assessment of the damage.

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"Kharif crops like soybean, cotton etc have been completely damaged. But leaders in power in the state and Centre are politicizing the issue. They should stop such irresponsible behaviour or we will take to the streets," an AIKS functionary said.

'Under the Prime Minister's Crop Insurance Scheme, farmers are required to report a disaster within 72 hours. Hence, the agriculture and revenue departments should cooperate with farmers so that they can report about the damage to their farms and crops. Insurance companies should keep their offices and helplines available for farmers 24x7, and make provision to file claims offline," the AIKS statement said.

A 2-day workshop organised by the outfit started in Nashik on Saturday, with the event, which will see participation from 22 districts, being inaugurated by agriculture expert and senior journalist P Sainath.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)