{
  "id": 15169293,
  "title": "'₹5,000 Drought Aid Is A Cruel Joke': Rohit Pawar Demands ₹1 Lakh Per Hectare For Farmers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/17/5-000-drought-aid-is-a-cruel-joke-rohit-pawar-demands-1-lakh-per",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-17T08:58:41.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Press Journal",
    "slug": "free-press-journal",
    "url": "https://www.freepressjournal.in/pune/5000-drought-aid-is-a-cruel-joke-rohit-pawar-demands-rs1-lakh-per-hectare-for-farmers"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Maharashtra's farmers are grappling with a severe drought crisis, as Nationalist Congress Party MLA Rohit Pawar demanded drastic compensation for affected agriculturalists. The MLA alleged that the state government has failed to address the magnitude of the crisis, and called for Rs1 lakh per hectare assistance for farmers and Rs1.5 lakh per hectare for horticulture growers. The drought has caused a 21.6% rainfall deficit, with regions like Nashik, Pune, and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar experiencing particularly acute losses. Pawar also demanded Rs50,000 for fruit orchards and Rs25,000 for agricultural laborers, questioning the Rs5,000 compensation offered by the government, which he called a \"cruel joke.\" He warned of a major agitation if the government fails to address the farmers' concerns, highlighting the financial burden of soybean cultivation and the scarcity of fodder for livestock.",
  "summary": "Pune: Alleging that Maharashtra's farmers are facing an unprecedented drought crisis amid a sharp rainfall deficit, falling reservoir levels and rising cultivation costs, Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) MLA Rohit Pawar on Saturday demanded compensation of at least Rs1 lakh per hectare for farmers and Rs1.5 lakh per hectare for horticulture growers at a special press conference on…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}