MUMBAI: Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday said the state government would issue a formal Government Resolution (GR) by Friday evening declaring drought in the affected areas and announcing direct financial assistance to farmers hit by the prolonged dry spell.
Fadnavis is currently touring drought-affected areas of Vidarbha, where he is meeting farmers, understanding their problems and assessing the damage caused by the prolonged dry spell. The dry spell has severely damaged standing cotton, soybean and other crops, leaving farmers struggling to even recover their cultivation costs.
Fadnavis described the situation as being as severe as the drought of 1972.
The Chief Minister said the government would follow the state’s drought code and issue the necessary order to declare drought under Trigger One. He said that if any drought-affected area was left out during the initial assessment and declaration, it would be included under Trigger Three.
“We will include all the areas where drought is being reported in the state,” Fadnavis said.
He said the government would provide various forms of assistance to farmers and rural communities. The measures would include providing fodder and drinking water wherever shortages are reported, ensuring adequate foodgrain supplies and providing direct financial assistance to farmers on a per-hectare basis.
“We will have to provide different help to the farmers. We will take measures to provide fodder and drinking water wherever there is a shortage of fodder or water. We will also ensure that there is no shortage of food grains anywhere. We will also provide direct assistance to farmers, per hectare,” the Chief Minister said.
He added that the government would take steps to ensure that the education of farmers’ children was not disrupted and would create employment opportunities at the local level.
Fadnavis further said that the government would also extend assistance to areas where water was still available so that farmers could cultivate rabi crops.
A senior government official said the state government planned to credit relief funds directly into the bank accounts of affected farmers without waiting for assistance from the Centre. Authorities have initiated damage assessments through panchnamas in severely affected regions, including Marathwada and Vidarbha, with particular focus on damaged soybean, maize and cotton crops.
The Maharashtra government has also constituted a Cabinet Sub-Committee headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule to fast-track decisions related to drought relief. The committee has been given special powers to expedite relief measures.
Local authorities have also been directed to ensure adequate supplies of drinking water and fodder for livestock over the coming months.
