Stories
Maharashtra Forms Drought Relief Panel; CM Fadnavis: Ministers, MLAs to Visit Affected Areas
- •Maharashtra government orders crop damage assessments from Wednesday and forms a cabinet sub-committee for drought relief measures due to prolonged dry spell damaging kharif crops.
- •Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis states field-level panchnamas will begin Wednesday to assess crop losses, with soybean, cotton, and paddy in Konkan being worst affected.
- •Immediate focus is on ensuring drinking water and fodder for livestock; municipal corporations, municipalities, and rural local bodies are authorized to make decisions on drinking water needs.
- •A Drought Relief Cabinet Sub-Committee, headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, has been formed with several ministers as members and Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal as Member Secretary.
- •CM Fadnavis announces that all ministers and MLAs will visit affected areas and interact with farmers, and he will also undertake a field visit from Wednesday, emphasizing that relief will not wait for the entire formal process despite following NDRF norms.
Key Questions Answered
The Maharashtra government ordered field-level crop damage assessments (panchnamas) to begin and constituted a cabinet sub-committee, headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, to oversee drought relief measures. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis emphasized that the immediate focus is on ensuring drinking water and livestock fodder.
The Drought Relief Cabinet Sub-Committee is headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. Chief Secretary Rajesh Agrawal serves as its Member Secretary alongside several appointed cabinet ministers and MLAs.
Marathwada has emerged as one of the worst-affected regions due to a prolonged absence of rain. Soybean and cotton are among the worst-affected crops across the state, while paddy crops in parts of Konkan have also suffered damage.
