Congress leader and Gujarat in-charge Randeep Surjewala has demanded that the BJP government in Gujarat declare a drought in Saurashtra and other affected regions. He also asked the state to waive crop loans and increase compensation for farmers whose land has been affected by power transmission lines.
Surjewala, a Rajya Sabha member, made these demands at a press conference in Rajkot. He said a special crop survey should be carried out across Saurashtra so that the damage to farmers can be properly assessed.
Saurashtra Drought Declaration and Crop Loan Waiver Demand
The Congress leader's demands focus on farmers in Saurashtra who, according to him, are facing distress. His list of demands is direct:
- Declare a drought in Saurashtra and other affected regions of Gujarat
- Waive crop loans taken by farmers
- Conduct a special crop survey across Saurashtra
- Increase compensation for farmers whose land is affected by power transmission lines
- Make annual payments to farmers whose land is affected by transmission lines
To put it plainly, the Congress is asking the state government to treat the farm situation in Saurashtra as a crisis — not just with relief, but with a formal drought tag, debt relief and long-term payment for land lost to power infrastructure.
Why the Congress Is Raising the Farmer Compensation Issue
The demand over power transmission lines is a separate but connected grievance. When transmission lines pass through farmland, the land is affected, and the Congress wants farmers to be paid every year for that loss — not just a one-time compensation.
Surjewala also linked the Opposition's 'vote chori' (theft of votes) allegations to democratic rights and constitutional safeguards. He said the issue was not merely a BJP-versus-Congress matter but a question that touches the democratic process itself.
Our Take: The Demand Is Clear, the Response Is What Matters
In our view, Surjewala's demands are specific and easy to measure. A drought declaration, a loan waiver, a crop survey and annual payments for land under transmission lines — each of these can be accepted or rejected by the Gujarat government. That makes this a test, not just a press conference.
Farmers in Saurashtra do not need sympathy statements. They need a clear answer on whether the state accepts that there is a drought-like situation, and whether it will share the burden of crop loans and land lost to power lines. The Congress has put its demands on record. The BJP government in Gujarat should now respond on record — and farmers should judge both parties by what actually reaches their bank accounts and their fields.
Until that happens, this remains a political demand, not relief.
