The Maharashtra government decided on Wednesday to double the amount of compensation that farmers affected by the July rains are entitled to. After the first meeting of his expanded cabinet, Chief Minister Eknath Shinde made the announcement here.
"A farmer receives Rs 6,800 per hectare as compensation under current NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) guidelines." "We've decided to double it," he told.
"Previous NDRF norms were also applicable for crop damage on a maximum of two hectares." "We've decided to reduce it to three hectares," he explained.
According to the chief minister, heavy rains in Maharashtra this monsoon have affected up to 15 lakh hectares of agricultural land.
The cabinet also agreed to establish a government medical college in Ratnagiri with a capacity of 100 students.
Along with the medical college, a 430-bed hospital will be built. The project will have an initial investment of Rs 500 crore.
Ajit Pawar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, said the government's announcement was insufficient to provide relief to rain-stricken areas.
"The doubling of compensation is insufficient because the NDRF norms do not cover all affected people." They only cover farmers who have lost crops. "This decision is a sham," said the leader of the Nationalist Congress Party.
Small-business owners, home owners, and shop owners who suffered losses as a result of the heavy rain should also be compensated, he said. "The (previous) Maha Vikas Aghadi government gave Rs 15,000 per family and Rs 1.50 lakh to those who lost their houses due to rain," Pawar explained.
