Severely hit by drought since the past few years, the Maharashtra government has outlined a Rs 60,000 crore programme which includes creating decentralised water storage to make the state drought f

AURANGABAD: Even as the divisional administration demanded around Rs 300 crore to deal with drought situation in Aurangabad division, the state government has released just over half of the require

Distribution of compensation to farmers in non-delta areas of the district for crop losses suffered by them owing to the monsoon failure began on Saturday.

About 37,745 farmers will get relief ranging from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000 an acre in the district. The State government has allotted Rs.16.96 crore for the purpose. Farmers who had raised paddy and suffered losses will be get Rs. 5,000 an acre.

The Mahindra Group has committed Rs 2 crore to the Maharashtra Government to provide relief to those affected by drought in the State.

The Central Government would provide relief only to those farmers, who were affected by drought, and not compensation for crop loss, clarified Pravesh Sharma, Team leader of the Central Drought Tea

Farmers in Namakkal district will get the entire drought relief fund of Rs. 56.11 crore.

“The package will benefit a total of 1,17,458 farmers who suffered crop or yield loss of more than 50 per cent on an area of 1,80,981 acres, as on January 2013”, Collector D. Jagannathan told The Hindu on Friday. An initial survey on the impact of the drought was conducted in January. A detailed report was submitted to the State Government and to a high level committee headed by Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam and five other Ministers.

Compensation to be credited to their savings bank accounts

The State government has sanctioned Rs.60 crore for the distribution of compensation to 1.28 lakh farmers who suffered more than 50 per cent crop loss due to drought, according to Collector N.Venkatachalam. Presiding over a special drought relief meeting at the Collectorate here on Thursday, he said crops on 1.83 lakh acres, including paddy covering 9,919 acres, were damaged.

Veteran playback singer Asha Bhosale on Wednesday contributed Rs five lakh towards the Maharashtra Chief Minister's drought relief fund.

MNS has now decided to target the Rs 1,500-crore bottled water industry in the state.

Assessment by high-level committee based on interactions with farmers

A Rs.1,755-crore package of drought relief measures was unveiled on Friday for non-Cauvery delta districts in the State.
Of this package, six components were meant for about 17.9 lakh farmers, who had suffered over 50 per cent crop loss. The farmers, for a variety of crops, would receive a total compensation of Rs. 835.21 crore.