Drought-hit farmers to get ₹5,000 before Diwali, 40,000-crore relief package also in the offing

Farmers in the 304 talukas will receive the advance assistance—provided their crops have suffered damage exceeding 33%—directly in their bank accounts

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday approved advance financial assistance of ₹5,000 each to around 15 million farmers in 304 drought-affected talukas, which they will begin getting from Thursday onwards. Apart from the ₹7,500 crore allocated for this, the government is drafting a ₹40,000-crore relief package, which will be sent to the central government by October 31. It is also considering demands to include additional talukas in the drought-affected category.

Drought-hit farmers to get ₹5,000 before Diwali, 40,000-crore relief package also in the offing

Farmers in the 304 talukas will receive the advance assistance—provided their crops have suffered damage exceeding 33%—directly in their bank accounts. The government has clarified that farmers who pay income tax, government officers and employees, and elected public representatives will not get this money.

The advance payment is intended to provide immediate financial relief to farmers before the Diwali festival. “The department had around ₹2,000 crore and the state cabinet sanctioned ₹5,000 crore,” said relief and rehabilitation minister Makrand Patil. “This ₹7,500 crore will be credited to the farmers’ accounts from Thursday onwards so that they get it well before Diwali.”

The government has already initiated the process of finalising crop categories and the extent of damage through surveys to determine compensation for the losses. Officials told HT that 97% of the panchanamas covering 16.1 million of the state’s 16.7 million farmers, had been completed.

The government is also considering demands to include additional talukas in the drought-affected category. Demands have been received for the Haveli, Maval and Mulshi talukas in Pune district, Hatkanangale in Kolhapur district and certain areas of the Konkan region. Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, who heads the cabinet subcommittee on drought-related issues, said, “The government will examine ground reports submitted by district collectors before taking a final decision. The inclusion of additional talukas is expected to be discussed at the sub-committee’s next meeting.”

The government has also warned financial institutions not to resort to coercive recovery practices that worsen the distress of farmers already struggling with drought-related losses. Bawankule said the committee had issued a stern warning to microfinance institutions and private finance companies accused of pressurising farmers during the drought. Amid reports of farmer suicides in Marathwada’s Nanded because of this pressure, CM Devendra Fadnavis ordered criminal cases to be registered directly against company officials and recovery agents who mentally harassed farmers and pushed them to this extreme step.