Mumbai, Nov 7 Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan on Saturday appealed to financially well-off farmers, who do not need government assistance, to return the Rs 5,000 drought relief amount to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to help needy farmers.
The Maharashtra government had recently announced an advance assistance of Rs 5,000 each for eligible farmers in drought-affected areas ahead of Diwali.
“Those who do not need the money should voluntarily return the Rs 5,000, considering it as a contribution towards helping farmers who are in need. My appeal is to everyone who is financially capable,” Mahajan, the state’s disaster management minister, told reporters in Jalgaon district.
He said several farmers and party workers from his constituency had approached him on Saturday morning, saying they had received the government assistance but wanted to return it as they did not need the money. Mahajan said around 50 farmers had approached him, expressing their willingness to return the amount as they were financially secure and had other sources of income.
“I will appeal to people to stand firmly behind our food provider, the farmer, during such difficult times and extend financial assistance through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund,” he said, adding that he would personally approach people in this regard.
The Devendra Fadnavis government, on October 27, approved Rs 7,500 crore as assistance to farmers in 304 drought-hit talukas. Farmers whose crops suffered damage of more than 33 per cent were eligible for this relief. The amount was to be transferred directly into bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer system.
As of November 5, the state had transferred Rs 4,372.83 crore to the bank accounts of 87,45,669 farmers, Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Jadhav Patil said on Friday. The process of extending assistance to the remaining eligible beneficiaries was underway, with authorities working to resolve technical problems and discrepancies in bank account details that had delayed some payments.
The assistance is part of the state’s response to drought conditions affecting several parts of Maharashtra following crop losses during the Kharif season.
(PTI News)
