Pest attack on paddy crop, Munganitwar seeks urgent CM help

Paddy farmers in Chandrapur district are facing a major crisis due to an attack of stem borer and blast disease on their crop, and MLA Sudhir Munganitwar has taken immediate note of the matter. Munganitwar, known for being among the first leaders to reach out to farmers in times of crisis, has written a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the issue.

In the letter, Munganitwar has demanded that the administration be directed to immediately carry out panchnama of the affected crops. He has also demanded that eligible farmers be given financial assistance as per government rules, and that the agriculture department provide the necessary pesticides and fungicides free of cost to control the stem borer and blast disease.

Munganitwar said farmers had put in significant financial effort to raise the paddy crop, but the outbreak of stem borer and blast disease right in the middle of the season has created a serious crisis for them. He wrote that if the pest and disease are not brought under control in time, paddy production will fall sharply and farmers will suffer financial losses, and that the government must intervene immediately with effective measures.

He has demanded that the Chief Minister direct the District Collector and officials of the agriculture and revenue departments to immediately conduct village-to-village inspections of the paddy crop damaged by stem borer and blast disease, and complete the panchnama at the earliest. He has also demanded that, based on the panchnama, the affected areas be identified and necessary action be taken to provide financial assistance to eligible farmers as per existing government rules.

To prevent further damage, Munganitwar has demanded that the agriculture department provide free pesticides needed to control stem borer and free fungicides to check blast disease. He has also demanded that agriculture department teams visit villages and fields directly to give farmers technical guidance on the correct use of these chemicals, the right spray dosage and preventive measures.

MLA Munganitwar appealed to the government to take effective measures before paddy production falls on a large scale, and to treat the situation seriously and act on a war footing to save the harvest that is almost in farmers' hands. He said the farmers' loss is not only financial but also affects a year of hard work and hopes for the coming season. He has therefore urged the government to immediately act on all fronts: panchnama of the damaged crops, prompt financial assistance to eligible farmers as per rules, free pesticides and fungicides, direct village-level inspection and technical guidance, and effective measures to prevent further damage.

Protecting a year's hard work and the hopes of the families of paddy farmers in Chandrapur district is everyone's collective responsibility. MLA Sudhir Munganitwar expressed confidence that if the Chief Minister takes immediate note of this serious situation and issues the necessary directions, it will bring major relief to the affected farmers and speed up effective measures to save their standing crop.