Dattatray Bharne
Pune: State govt expects to complete its assessment of crop damage in drought-hit areas by Thursday and submit a final report to the Centre seeking financial assistance, said agriculture minister Dattatray Bharne on Sunday.
In previous years, farmers who lost one crop could often depend on the other for some income.
Bharne said the teams were receptive to the state’s demands. The team members responded positively to several points we raised,” he said. Bharne said the Centre was likely to revise the relief assistance criteria under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), which were framed more than a decade ago. Describing the scale of the crisis, Bharne said farmers suffered severe losses as both kharif and rabi crops were affected. “Farmers may also be unable to take up a second crop, adding to their financial burden,” he said.
“We shared details of the preparations made by state govt and explained various aspects of the current situation. Maharashtra hopes to secure assistance under the revised norms, allowing more affected farmers to benefit. This year, however, damage to both crops has left many farmers facing a severe financial crisis.
Bharne said around 75% of the assessment is complete, with the remaining work expected to finish by Thursday.
They have assured us of help,” Bharne said. The state is seeking maximum central assistance to help farmers recover from extensive crop loss. “Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis , deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde and I have spoken to Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union home minister Amit Shah , seeking maximum assistance for Maharashtra .