Nagpur: Over Rs 880cr in drought relief advance has been disbursed to almost 18lakh farmers in eight Vidarbha districts as on Friday, as part of the promised Rs 5,000 per farmer ‘Diwali advance’ by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis . Figures for Wardha, Chandrapur and Gadchiroli were not available till the time of going to press.
In Yavatmal, Pusad taluka recorded 31,676 beneficiaries, followed by Arni with 25,861 and Ralegaon with 20,190. Pramod Bhorkade, a farmer from Khandar village in Tumsar taluka of Bhandara, said he owns 5 acre and suffered significant losses due to drought this year, and the payment of Rs 5,000 brought him immediate relief for Diwali.
Yavatmal guardian minister Sanjay Rathod said, “The govt assured farmers that advance financial assistance would be provided before Diwali in view of the prevailing drought conditions. The govt stands firmly with farmers in this difficult situation and is committed to extending substantial financial support to the drought-hit. ” The district administration said transfers to the remaining eligible farmers in Yavatmal were also underway. Accordingly, the process of disbursing assistance is being completed on a priority basis.
State relief and rehabilitation minister Makarand Jadhav Patil said the disbursement was being carried out on a priority basis. Payments held up by technical difficulties, wrong bank details or other account problems will be processed once these are resolved, he said. Agencies have also been told to ensure no eligible farmer is left out.
The govt described the payment as interim relief, with further assistance expected after the festival. Transfers to remaining beneficiaries are continuing. (With inputs from Bhaskar Mehare, Anil Jadhav & Dhananjay Sable)