Nagpur: Maharashtra govt is working to ensure that drought-affected farmers receive some financial assistance before Diwali, revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Thursday. The state has stepped up crop-loss assessments and considers expanding the list of drought-affected areas, he added.Bawankule, who heads the cabinet subcommittee on drought relief, said that govt was trying to complete crop-loss panchnamas quickly so that assistance could reach farmers before the festival. The subcommittee, he said, had also recommended that talukas facing drought-like conditions but not qualifying under the initial Trigger-1 criteria should be considered based on ground assessments and crop-yield figures.“Around 15 to 18 talukas that were not included under Trigger-1 but are experiencing drought conditions could be brought within the drought-relief framework after accurate panchnamas and assessment of crop yields. Demands for the inclusion of such areas have come from Vidarbha, western Maharashtra and Nandurbar,” he said.The revenue minister said surveys would be conducted in phases and that the final decision would be taken after discussions with chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. “The eligibility should not depend solely on whether a taluka had crossed the Trigger-1 threshold. The field-level assessment is necessary to capture the actual condition of crops,” he said.The Kamptee MLA also directed officials to obtain farmers’ signatures on panchnamas. Such signatures, he said, would help establish the actual condition recorded during the assessment and ensure greater transparency in the process.Bawankule said he would personally inspect the assessment process in six districts over the next three days. His schedule includes Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna, followed by Akola and Buldhana, and Dhule and Jalgaon on Oct 4.“I will check whether the required teams are actually in the field and whether genuine panchnamas are being prepared,” he said.BoxCabinet Panel To Submit Drought Report By Oct 25The 11-member cabinet subcommittee constituted to respond to the drought situation in Maharashtra will submit its final report by Oct 25, Bawankule said.The minister said the panel had been given full authority to take measures to address the drought situation and coordinate relief efforts. He said crop-loss panchnamas were being prepared jointly by the revenue, agriculture and rural development departments, with officials from all three departments required to sign the assessments.He stressed coordination among the departments to ensure that crop losses were accurately recorded. Bawankule also warned of action against illegal moneylenders and urged farmers to report exploitation or fraud by moneylenders or financial institutions.Bawankule criticised an incident in which a ramp was reportedly constructed on a farm ahead of a ministerial inspection, saying such conduct made a mockery of farmers. He said action would be taken against the officer concerned.
