Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Wednesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi and sought special financial assistance from the Centre to tackle the severe drought situation in Maharashtra, particularly in view of the emerging drinking water and fodder crisis.
NDRF Proposal Submitted
Fadnavis submitted a copy of the state's proposal for assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and urged Shah to expedite the process of assessing the drought situation. He said around 32 districts were facing severe drought conditions, with nearly 80 per cent of the state's talukas affected.
"I met Amit Shah today. As you are aware, the Union Home Minister heads the NDRF and also chairs the Inter-Ministerial Group. Our proposals seeking assistance under the NDRF are placed before this group. I went to brief him about the proposal submitted by Maharashtra and also handed over a copy to him," Fadnavis said.
Central Team Visit Sought
He said he had requested that a Central team be sent to Maharashtra immediately to assess the situation on the ground. The team is expected to visit the state from October 8 to 11 and inspect drought-affected areas before submitting its report to the NDRF.
"The team will inspect various parts of Maharashtra from October 8 to 11 and assess the drought situation. Its report, along with the proposal submitted by the state, will form the basis for the NDRF's decision. The process is moving very quickly," Fadnavis said.
Special Assistance Requested
The Chief Minister said he had specifically sought assistance beyond the normal relief measures considering the scale of the crisis. "I have made a special request to the Centre considering the overall drought situation. The Union Home Minister has responded positively and assured that the Centre will provide maximum possible assistance within the existing rules," he said.
Fadnavis said crop-loss surveys had already been completed in around 23,000 villages and assured that the state government would make efforts to complete the remaining assessment at the earliest and provide financial assistance to affected farmers.
He noted that drought in Maharashtra was generally declared in November-end or December in previous years, whereas the government had taken the decision much earlier this year.
"This is the first year when, keeping all rules and criteria aside, we have declared drought in advance, in September-end," Fadnavis said, adding that the early declaration was aimed at ensuring timely assistance to farmers facing difficulties.
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