Aid for drought-hit Maharashtra farmers before Diwali: Minister

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government will provide financial assistance to the drought-hit farmers before Diwali, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has assured, noting that 45 per cent of the crop loss assessment has been completed in the affected regions.

After a drought review meeting on Tuesday, Bawankule told reporters that the government was examining the panchnamas to ensure that crop losses were accurately assessed.

"Forty-five per cent of crop loss panchnamas have been completed. The remaining work should be expedited," he said.

The meeting reviewed water storage, crop losses and the measures that could be taken to provide assistance to farmers before Diwali, the minister informed.

It was also decided to issue a Government Resolution (GR) barring the use of potable or treated drinking water for construction activities, he said.

"The government has also prohibited the use of potable or treated drinking water for construction. Only treated water from sewage treatment plants will be permitted for construction activities," he added.

The meeting also discussed action against banks and private financiers allegedly harassing farmers for repayment of loans during the drought situation.

"Banks were directed not to repeatedly demand documents from farmers who had already availed themselves of crop loans. Nationalised and private banks, as well as private financiers, would face strict action if they contacted farmers for loan repayment during the drought," Bawankule said.

He said district-level meetings under the chairmanship of collectors and discussions at the chief secretary's level would be held to resolve such issues.

The government also decided to complete heirship records and KYC formalities village-wise under loan-waiver schemes so that eligible farmers are not deprived of benefits.

Farmers without AgriStack will also be covered under relief measures, while efforts will be made to bring Class-II farmers onto the platform, Bawankule said.

AgriStack is a digital public infrastructure for agriculture created by the Centre to build a unified database of farmers and their land records.

The meeting also reviewed the availability of fodder and measures to address shortages. The government plans to establish fodder depots through gram panchayats instead of relying entirely on fodder camps.

It also decided to develop grasslands on forest, fallow and government land near water resources to create fodder banks. Paddy straw from Vidarbha and Konkan regions will be stored and used for producing cattle feed, the minister said.

The government is also expediting crop loss assessments to enable relief measures to reach affected farmers, Bawankule said.

A central team will visit drought-affected areas of Maharashtra soon to assess the situation, according to him.

The visit is likely to take place on October 10 or 12, with three separate teams expected to inspect Beed-Dharashiv, Yavatmal-Washim and Ahilyanagar-Solapur districts.

On September 26, the Maharashtra government declared drought in 265 of its 358 talukas, or 74 per cent of the state, amid rainfall deficit and announced relief measures, including crop loan restructuring, land revenue concessions, and power bill subsidies.

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division has the highest number of 74 drought-affected talukas, followed by Amravati 56, Nashik 49, Nagpur 39, Pune 35 and Thane 12. One taluka in Raigad, three in Ratnagiri and eight in Sindhudurg have also been included in the list.