Proposal for ₹10,000 crore relief sent; up to the NDRF to sanction funds

Amid the controversy over Maharashtra’s delay in submitting a proposal to the central government to compensate farmers affected by the year’s floods and heavy rainfall, it has come to light that the state has indeed sent a proposal seeking over ₹10,000 crore as relief. However, there is uncertainty over how much the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) will ultimately sanction.

MUMBAI: Amid the controversy over Maharashtra’s delay in submitting a proposal to the central government to compensate farmers affected by the year’s floods and heavy rainfall, it has come to light that the state has indeed sent a proposal seeking over ₹10,000 crore as relief. However, there is uncertainty over how much the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) will ultimately sanction. Officials pointed out that three years ago, the central government had rejected a similar proposal of over ₹3,500 crore, forcing the state to bear the entire compensation burden.

Dharashiv, India. Sep 27, 2025 - An aerial view of the flood-affected Devgaon village in the Dharashiv district shows the impact of heavy rains that have been battering Marathwada and Western Maharashtra. In just the past four days, eight people have lost their lives, and more than 150 villages have been affected by the intense downpour. Dharashiv, India. Sep 27, 2025. (Photo by Raju Shinde/HT Photo) (Raju Shinde)

The state government submitted its first report on November 27 and a revised proposal on December 1, seeking more than ₹10,000 crore for crop losses across 8.4 million hectares affecting 11.3 million farmers. Both proposals were sent by Vinita Vaid Singal, principal secretary of the Relief and Rehabilitation Department, to the joint secretary of Disaster Management under the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA).

According to officials from the Disaster Management and Relief and Rehabilitation Department, the central government may accept the proposal fully or partially depending on NDRF norms. Earlier examples show that the NDRF’s approvals are not always guaranteed. “They expect us to give relief funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and only if additional funds are needed, the NDRF considers the proposal. But their norms are strict. In 2022-23 the state government sent a proposal of around ₹3,680 crore. But it was not sanctioned as they considered it to be over their norms,” said an official from the department. He added that in such cases, the state must shoulder the entire payout to farmers.

Officials added that because the losses this year are extensive, the NDRF may sanction at least part of the request. The state has already relaxed eligibility norms, offering compensation for up to three hectares of damaged land, compared with the NDRF norm of two hectares.

A political row broke out on Wednesday after Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Omraje Nimbalkar claimed that, in a written reply to his question, the union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan had said that Maharashtra had not submitted any proposal for compensation for flood-affected farmers. Sharing a copy of the reply, Nimbalkar accused the state government of negligence. “Mahayuti government leaders were busy with elections and had no time for farmers,” he said.

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis responded that the state had already submitted a proposal regarding the agricultural losses and would soon send a separate report on the damage to infrastructure. Later in the day, Chauhan clarified that the central government had indeed received the state’s proposal.