Eknath Shinde govt's ex gratia fails to appease onion growers in Maharashtra

NASHIK: The Maharashtra government's decision to provide ex gratia of Rs300 per quintal of onions in the wake of the crash in the crops' wholesale rates has failed to appease a section of farmers who described the financial assistance as "paltry".
Chief minister Eknath Shinde on Monday told the state legislative assembly that the government-appointed committee had recommended ex gratia at Rs200 to Rs300 per quintal for the onion growers.
"We will provide Rs300 per quintal since our government is concerned about the farmers. It will be a big relief for the farmers. This amount is higher than what the state government had granted in the past. In 2016-17, onion farmers had got Rs100 per quintal. In 2017-18, they got Rs200 per quintal," added Shinde.
The Maharashtra State Onion Growers Association is unhappy with the quantum of ex gratia. "The amount is meagre. It will not help distressed farmers recover losses," claimed the association president, Bharat Dighole, adding that they want ex gratia of at least Rs,1500 per quintal.
According to him, a farmer incurs a cost of Rs2,200 to grow one quintal of onion.
"I fail to understand on what basis the government committee recommended Rs200 as ex gratia to the onion growers. The committee did not take any feedback from the association," said Dighole. The opposition also expressed its anguish against the government for the quantum of ex gratia .
The senior functionary of the All India Kisan Morcha, Ajit Navale, said, "The financial assistance should have been much higher. The state needs to see to it that the wholesale onion prices do not crash again. That will further add to the farmers' woes."