Maharashtra Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has said financial assistance for farmers in drought-affected areas will be released only after detailed crop-loss panchnamas are completed, delaying immediate relief while the state verifies the extent of damage. The state government has declared drought across 75 per cent of Maharashtra, according to a report by Mid-Day citing IANS.
Bawankule said the assessment process was necessary to ensure that every eligible farmer is included and that compensation reflects the actual damage suffered. He said different crops, including cotton, soybean, turmeric, sugarcane, horticulture produce and orange orchards, require separate damage assessments.
“Our goal is to ensure that not a single eligible farmer is excluded,” Bawankule said, as cited by IANS. He added that releasing funds before ground-level reports were completed could result in inaccurate compensation. The final financial package will be formally announced by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis after the assessment reports are submitted to the state government.
The minister is chairing a newly appointed Cabinet Sub-Committee on Drought Relief. The committee will meet every Tuesday to review the situation across affected districts and monitor the preparation of the reports. Bawankule said the verification was also important for securing assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund guidelines.
The state will also review talukas that were left out of the drought declaration. Bawankule said those areas would be assessed after a detailed study. He said the Chief Minister had visited farm bunds to examine conditions on the ground, although the report did not specify the districts or talukas involved.
The drought response also includes an electricity supply direction for agricultural users. Bawankule instructed the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited to provide 12 hours of uninterrupted power supply to agricultural feeders. Power availability in areas facing supply problems will be reviewed every week.
The minister’s comments came amid pressure from opposition leaders, including NCP chief Sharad Pawar, who have demanded urgent drought relief. Bawankule said the government had received more than 2,000 letters from opposition leaders and representatives. He maintained that the administration was not acting solely because of those communications.
The immediate administrative milestones are the completion of crop-loss panchnamas, weekly reviews of agricultural feeder supply and the Cabinet Sub-Committee’s Tuesday meetings. The state’s financial assistance package will be announced after the assessment reports are finalised, according to the minister.
