Guardian Minister celebrates Diwali with farmers at Balgaon Ashram
Assures farmers that the government stands firmly with them in difficult times
Visits farmers' homes and distributes Diwali festive food kits
Sangli, November 2026: Maharashtra's Higher and Technical Education and Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Sangli District Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil on Monday appealed to farmers and residents to work together to overcome the prevailing drought situation, assuring them that the state government would stand by them through the crisis.
Patil interacted directly with farmers at Gurudev Yogashram in Balgaon village of Jat taluka and shared traditional Diwali festive food (faral) with them. The programme was organised in accordance with the directions of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, who had asked ministers to visit drought-affected villages, celebrate Diwali with farmers and understand their difficulties.
Due to deficient rainfall, several parts of Maharashtra are facing drought-like conditions. The state government has declared 305 talukas drought-affected, including all talukas in Sangli district. The government has initiated various measures to provide relief to farmers and affected families.
During the interaction, Patil said farmers should not lose hope despite the difficult circumstances caused by the El Niño phenomenon. He assured them that compensation for crop losses would be provided after the completion of crop damage assessments.
He said the state government had already deposited financial assistance of Rs 5,000 into farmers' bank accounts to help them celebrate Diwali.
The government would also ensure the availability of drinking water and fodder for livestock, he said.
Patil directed the local MLA and district administration to hold two separate meetings to address various issues concerning Jat taluka and expedite solutions.
Emphasising the need for careful water management, he said the available water resources would have to be managed until August next year. He appealed to residents to use water judiciously and create awareness about conservation in their communities.
MLA Gopichand Padalkar briefed the minister on the drought situation in Jat and the measures required to improve water availability. He said approval had been granted to increase the pumping capacity of the Mhaisal Lift Irrigation Scheme to ensure that water reached Jat taluka at full capacity.
He added that sub-pipelines were also being made available through the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD). Padalkar stressed the need to undertake large-scale water conservation projects to make Jat drought-free.
District Collector Dr Mainak Ghosh said experts had indicated that the impact of El Niño could continue into the next year, making it necessary to manage available water resources until August.
He said the district administration had undertaken extensive water conservation measures to tackle the drought. Around 90 per cent of the recharge shaft works being implemented by the administration were located in Jat taluka. In addition, 25 per cent of the works under the Jal Jeevan Mission were also being undertaken in the taluka.
Ghosh said officials had been instructed to provide water tankers wherever required. Under the next rotation of the Mhaisal Lift Irrigation Scheme, scheduled to begin on November 15, priority would be given to filling reservoirs and lakes in Jat taluka.
The administration was also encouraging self-help groups to undertake fodder cultivation on government land to ensure adequate feed for livestock.
He added that employment guarantee works were being planned in Jat through the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin), also referred to as VB-G RAM G.
During the programme, Patil sat on the ground with farmers and shared Diwali snacks with them. In a symbolic gesture of solidarity, he fed a farmer a traditional sweet, while another farmer reciprocated by offering festive food to the minister.
Patil also distributed Diwali food kits to farmers and gifts to children who performed Mallakhamb demonstrations at the event.
As part of his outreach, the minister visited two villagers' homes, handed over festive food kits and enquired about their well-being. He assured the families of the government's support during the difficult period.
With the assistance of Balgaon Ashram, food kits brought by the minister were distributed to households across the village.
The programme began with students presenting impressive Mallakhamb performances. MLA Dhairyashil Kadam, MLA Gopichand Padalkar, District Collector Dr Mainak Ghosh, Jat Municipal Council President Dr Ravindra Arali, Sub-Divisional Officer Ajaykumar Nashte, Patil's Officer on Special Duty Balasaheb Yadav, Amrutanand Swamiji Maharaj of Balgaon Yogashram, local representatives, government officials, Zilla Parishad and Panchayat Samiti members, and a large number of farmers attended the programme.
