New Delhi:
The alarming rise in suicides by debt-ridden farmers in Maharashtra has finally moved the government a bit. Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and his deputy Ajit Pawar met the Prime Minister today along with a 14-member delegation of state ministers and MPs.
The Maharashtra delegation is understood to have discussed the critical drought situation in the state with the Prime Minister.
The Maharashtra government is seeking a financial package of Rs. 2,281.37 crore and five lakh tonne foodgrain at BPL rates from the Centre to tackle drought situation in 15 districts of the state.
Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi had met the Prime Minister yesterday to seek relief measures for the drought hit area of the state. The meeting lasted for an hour. Rahul had visited these areas in the last week of April. Villagers had sought more funds from state and central governments to tide over the crisis to which Rahul had responded positively.
The state has sought Rs. 782.11 crore for small farmers who have lost their kharif and rabbi crops, Rs. 73.60 crore for grapes, mangoes, orange, pomegranates growers, Rs. 129.39 crore for water supply schemes, Rs. 300 crore for construction of check dams, Rs. 700 crore for other related schemes to cope with drought.
Apart from Western Maharashtra, Marathwada, North Maharashtra and some talukas of Vidarbha are also facing acute water shortage, Mr Chavan said, adding that the state government was fully geared up to mitigate the hardships of the people and ensure that there is adequate water for people and fodder for the cattle.
He said the state government has already announced Rs. 80 for large animals and Rs. 40 for rearing small animals in cattle camps and Rs. 8,000 per hectare, upto two hectares, for small and medium farmers growing grapes, orange and pomegranates while Rs. 8,000 per hectare for big farmers.
Scarcity-like conditions have already been declared in as many as 6,201 villages and concessions as per government rules, like sanctioning water supply schemes, waiver in electricity bills have already been provided, Mr Chavan said.