Maharashtra to Book Finance Firm Staff for Harassing Drought-Hit Farmers
Maharashtra will take police action against finance company staff harassing drought-hit farmers over loan repayments. The government has also announced fodder supply measures, desilting subsidies and support for drinking water schemes, while considering additional areas for drought-hit status.
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The Maharashtra government will register police cases against officials and recovery agents of finance companies found harassing farmers for loan repayment during the ongoing drought, Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Tuesday. The directive was issued by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis following an incident in Nanded.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the state cabinet’s drought relief sub-committee, headed by him, Bawankule outlined several measures to support farmers and rural communities across 304 drought-affected talukas.
The meeting decided to empower district collectors to supervise fodder procurement and cultivation. Under the revised standard operating procedure, dry fodder will be supplied at Rs 12 per kg and green fodder at Rs 8 per kg. A five-member committee led by the district collector will manage procurement, arrange local cultivation and source fodder from other districts.
Fodder will also be cultivated on land belonging to the forest, revenue and water resources departments using District Planning Committee (DPC) funds. Surplus fodder available in Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri will be transported to drought-hit areas.
The government will provide financial assistance for desilting lakes and dams and transporting the excavated material to agricultural fields. Subsidies of Rs 31 per cubic metre for desilting and Rs 35 per cubic metre for transporting the silt have been approved. Royalty will also be waived on soil, murum and gravel extracted from lakes for road construction.
Also read - Maharashtra Approves Rs 5,000 Advance Aid for 1.5 Crore Drought-Hit Farmers
The government has also received demands to include additional areas in the drought list, including Haveli, Maval and Mulshi in Pune district, Hatkanangale in Kolhapur district and some parts of the Konkan region.
Bawankule said a decision on these areas would be taken at the next meeting on Tuesday after district collectors submit reports assessing ground conditions.
The meeting also decided to allocate DPC funds to restore rural drinking water schemes that have stopped functioning because of unpaid electricity bills or the absence of power connections.
