According to the officials in charge, the government has paid roughly Rs 2,116 crore in crop loss compensation to rain-affected farmers in Marathwada through Tuesday. According to official figures, the amount of assistance distributed so far accounts for 75% of the overall assistance received by the division from the state government.
On Wednesday, Aurangabad deputy divisional commissioner Parag Soman stated that all eight districts in Marathwada have been directed to guarantee that compensation is distributed quickly. "The state government has issued Rs 2,821.7 crore as the first instalment of compensation for Marathwada, where 100% payout would be completed shortly. Following that, the government is scheduled to release the second instalment of the remaining 25% after Diwali," he explained.
In the second part of October, the MVA government announced a revised relief package totalling Rs 3,762.2 crore for rain-stricken farmers in Marathwada's eight districts. The revised financial assistance was Rs 1,100 crore greater than the actual compensation calculated according to the State Disaster Response Fund's guidelines (SDRF). According to government data, rain harmed around 4.7 lakh farmers in Marathwada during the last wet season, particularly in September.
According to Rajan Kshirsagar of the Maharashtra Kisan Sabha, the different administrations should guarantee that the government's assistance reaches the intended farmers. "We don't understand why the aid is being disbursed in two instalments, one of which is supposed to be delivered after Diwali. It's been weeks since the natural disaster struck the farmers, and many are still waiting for government assistance, "he stated. Kshirsagar further stated that a significant delay in assisting farmers will jeopardise crucial preparations for the upcoming rabi season.
During this monsoon, torrential rains triggered by typhoon Gulab in September destroyed about 55 lakh hectares of agricultural land – more than 40% of the total in the state. Marathwada, which lost approximately 20 lakh hectares, received the brunt of the disaster.
