Ahilyanagar Land Lease Draws Scrutiny as Drought Pushes Dairy Farmers to Breaking Point

The Maharashtra state government's decision to lease 1,200 acres of public land in Ahilyanagar to a company linked to a senior politician's son-in-law has drawn fresh scrutiny over the management of government assets. The controversy comes at a difficult moment for the district, where dairy farmers are sounding the alarm over a worsening fodder shortage that could force widespread cattle sales if the administration does not establish emergency relief camps soon. Together the two stories reflect the pressures — political and economic — shaping life in Ahilyanagar as the region heads into the post-monsoon season.

🗳️ State Leases 1,200 Acres to Firm Linked to Sule's Son-in-Law

The New Indian Express reported on 9 October 2026 that the Maharashtra state government has leased 1,200 acres of public land in Ahilyanagar district to Vishwaraj Renewables, a renewable energy company owned by Sarang Lakhani. Lakhani is the son-in-law of Supriya Sule, the senior NCP (SP) politician and Member of Parliament, and the son of BJP MLC Arun Lakhani, whose family has close ties to both Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and senior central minister Nitin Gadkari. The scale of the lease — 1,200 acres of government land — and the political connections of the company's owner have drawn attention to questions about due process, the valuation of public land and the manner in which such large-scale leases are approved. The report notes the interlocking family and political relationships involved: the Lakhani family spans both the NCP (SP) and BJP blocs, in a state whose current coalition government brings together parties that were once bitter rivals. The land lease case in Ahilyanagar adds to a wider pattern of controversy in Maharashtra over the allocation of public resources, with opposition figures and civic observers questioning whether adequate transparency was maintained in the approval of this particular transaction and others like it in the state. [1]

🏢 Dairy Farmers Urge Fodder Camps as Drought Leaves Cattle at Risk

ETV Bharat reported from Shirdi in Ahilyanagar district that dairy farmers across the district are under severe financial pressure, forced to purchase fodder at high prices to keep their cattle alive amid shortages caused by drought conditions and dwindling water supplies. Farmers told the outlet that the fodder available in the market is both costly and in limited supply, leaving them with little choice but to spend heavily or face selling off their livestock at a loss. Community members and farmers have formally urged the district administration to establish fodder camps on an urgent basis, warning that without immediate action many dairy farmers will be compelled to liquidate their herds entirely. The article noted that the animals were otherwise healthy but that sustaining them through the season had become economically unviable for many small and marginal farmers in the district. Ahilyanagar is a significant dairy-producing region within Maharashtra's agricultural economy, and a large-scale collapse of the dairy sector would affect rural livelihoods, local milk supply chains and the broader rural economy of the district for years ahead. The report was filed from Shirdi, one of the district's principal towns, and reflected a rapidly deteriorating situation that farmers described as requiring immediate government intervention rather than the standard, slower administrative process. [7]

Sources: [1] The New Indian Express · [7] ETV Bharat