Mumbai, Oct 6 (IANS) The Maharashtra government on Tuesday announced a series of measures to tackle drought conditions, including plans to provide financial assistance to affected farmers before Diwali, a 10 per cent reduction in water supply, and safeguards against coercive loan recovery practices.
The decisions were taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Drought Relief chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule.
A 10 per cent cut in water supply will be implemented in both urban and rural areas.
The government has also directed that construction activities must not use treated drinking water and instead utilise recycled water from Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs).
Expressing concern over the low disbursement of crop loans, Bawankule said only 8 per cent of the targeted crop loans have been distributed so far.
He warned banks against demanding repeated documentation from existing borrowers.
All nationalised banks, private banks and financial institutions have been directed not to harass farmers through recovery calls or coercive recovery methods.
The Minister said strict action would be taken against violators.
Field assessments (panchnamas) relating to crop losses have crossed 45 per cent completion.
Bawankule directed officials to expedite the remaining surveys and said relief planning is being undertaken to ensure financial assistance reaches affected farmers before the Diwali festival.
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Patil proposed earmarking 5 per cent of relief funds for inspection-related activities.
The meeting also emphasised timely and transparent settlement of crop insurance claims.
District Collectors and the Chief Secretary will hold district-level meetings to address issues related to agricultural lending.
Village-level KYC verification and heirship records for loan-waiver beneficiaries are to be completed on priority so that no eligible farmer is excluded.
Bawankule clarified that farmers not registered under the AgriStack platform will also remain eligible for relief benefits.
Following a proposal by Fisheries Minister Nitesh Rane, AgriStack registration will not be made mandatory for farmers in the Konkan region.
The government also decided to intensify measures against illegal private money-lending activities in drought-affected areas, including Erandol and Raver in Jalgaon district.
To support livestock owners, fodder will be distributed directly through Gram Panchayats instead of relying solely on traditional fodder camps.
Government-owned wasteland, forest land and areas along irrigation reservoirs will be utilised for large-scale fodder cultivation.
Paddy straw generated in Vidarbha and Konkan will be processed into cattle feed instead of being burnt.
Silage bags, hydroponics and Azolla projects will also be promoted through the National Livestock Mission (NLM) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding.
With Kharif crops facing stress, the state plans to encourage moisture-resilient Rabi crops such as gram (chana) and sorghum (jowar) wherever soil moisture conditions permit.
The meeting also discussed plans to construct recharge shafts for groundwater replenishment and revive defunct rural water-supply schemes.
District-level monitoring committees headed by Guardian Ministers will supervise local water-management plans.
A Central government assessment team is expected to visit Maharashtra on October 10 or October 12 to evaluate drought conditions.
The team will be divided into three groups and will conduct field visits in six severely affected districts: Beed-Dharashiv, Yavatmal-Washim and Ahilyanagar-Solapur.
The meeting was attended by Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Water Supply Minister Gulabrao Patil, Rural Development Minister Jaykumar Gore, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne, senior ministers and departmental officials.
–IANS
sj/dan