MLA Sudhir Mungantiwar has taken the initiative so that the 'annadata' (food provider), struggling with drought and crop failure, does not have to run from one government office to another, and so that his problems are solved under one roof. In a letter to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, he has firmly demanded that a special 'Farmers' Help Desk' be started every Monday at all tehsil offices in the district and at the Collector's office.
Help from all departments under one roof Due to the current drought-like conditions, farmers are under financial and mental stress. At such times they have to run from pillar to post in government offices for various problems: Crop loss compensation and crop insurance Financial aid and loan-related difficulties Water scarcity, and arrangements for fodder and water for cattle Benefits of various government agriculture schemes
To deal with all these matters, farmers have to visit different departments many times. Often the concerned officers are not present at the same time, which wastes farmers' time, money and mental energy. To stop this hardship, Mungantiwar has insisted that responsible officers of all the concerned departments be present together at one place in the help desk.
Arrangements at tehsil level for rural farmers For farmers in rural and remote areas, travelling to the district headquarters every time is neither affordable nor convenient in terms of money and time. The letter therefore suggests that a similar desk run every Monday at the tehsil level too. It requests directions to ensure that the tehsildar's assistants and officers of agriculture, revenue, relief and rehabilitation, and other concerned departments are physically present.
Recording complaints and following up on pending cases The help desk should not limit its work to accepting applications. The emphasis is on resolving issues in practice:
Prompt recording and action: All applications and complaints received at the help desk should be systematically recorded, and concerned departments should act on them on time.
Direct information for farmers: Pending cases should be reviewed regularly every week, and farmers should be told where their case stands.
No need for repeated visits: Under this arrangement, farmers will not need to keep visiting offices to find out the status of their applications.
Mungantiwar has underlined that during this difficult drought period, coordination among administrative departments is essential to get timely government schemes and relief to farmers.