MUMBAI, June 11 -- After news reports surfaced of a farmer from Latur yoking his wife in place of a bull they had lost in a lightning strike, the state government has given the couple a bull and financial compensation for the loss of the animal. The Latur district administration made the arrangements on Tuesday, after chief minister Devendra Fadnavis directed them to provide the couple assistance. Kashinath Gaikwad, a landless farmer from Bombli Khurd village in Latur district who earns a livelihood by working on others' farms, lost one of his bulls in a lightning strike two days ago. With no replacement animal available and the deadline to complete ploughing and sowing before the arrival of the monsoon looming, Gaikwad took the extreme step of harnessing his wife in place of the bull he lost. For the couple, failing to meet their commitments was not an option, as they have no other source of income. "We had the option of replacing the dead bull from a gaushala, but a farmer came forward and agreed to donate a bull to the family. Under the State Disaster Response Fund, compensation is provided for the loss of cattle. An ex-gratia sum of Rs.32,000 was disbursed to the farmer immediately after completing the necessary formalities," said Latur collector, Bharat Bastewad. Hausabai Gaikwad, the farmer's wife, said the sudden death of their bull had placed the family in a difficult situation. "The prompt response and support from the administration have eased our worries. The new bull will help us complete the agricultural work already assigned to us for the upcoming Kharif season," she said....