The Maharashtra government has announced that 31.64 lakh farmers affected by heavy rains will receive financial assistance amounting to Rs 2215 crore. Of this, Rs 1829 crore has already been given to respective districts and will be deposited in farmers’ bank accounts within the next eight to 10 days.
After the weekly state cabinet meeting, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis spoke about relief measures for farmers affected due to excess rainfall in Marathwada, Solapur and other parts of Maharashtra. “Norms have been relaxed to ensure quick compensation for damage to houses, livestock, and farms. District collectors have been fully empowered to disburse assistance without any delays,” Fadnavis said.
The CM also mentioned that 27 people were recently rescued using helicopters, while hundreds were moved to safe places with the help of the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force. All ministers have been asked to visit affected areas to take stock of the on-ground situation and ensure effective implementation of the help announced by the state. Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar will also be visiting affected areas personally.
Not to be left behind, Opposition parties too have started visiting the rural parts of Maharashtra. Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray will be visiting Dharashiv in Marathwada in the next few days. While Fadnavis claimed that there would be no shortage of funds, Rohit Pawar, an MLA from the Sharad Pawar-led NCP faction, demanded that distressed farmers be allotted Rs 50,000 per hectare. “The financial assistance announced by the government will not provide relief to farmers,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government will be sending proposals to obtain financial assistance from the Union government for farmers. “Officials have been asked to immediately begin the panchanama process to take stock of losses without waiting for any directives or orders from the government,” Fadnavis stated. Shinde, meanwhile, reiterated that the government would leave no stone unturned to bail out affected farmers, while Pawar requested everyone to come together to tackle the crisis.
