The Maharashtra Cabinet on October 27 approved an advance payment of ₹5,000 each to nearly 1.5 crore farmers whose crops have suffered more than 33% damage in 304 drought-hit talukas, with the state government aiming to credit the money to their bank accounts before Diwali, PTI reported.
The assistance will be transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), according to a statement issued by the Chief Minister’s Secretariat after the weekly Cabinet meeting.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has directed officials to ensure that the money reaches beneficiaries’ accounts within the week.
The advance payment is expected to involve a total expenditure of ₹7,500 crore, according to sources cited by PTI.
The government has also directed officials to instruct banks not to make deductions from the amount credited to farmers’ accounts.
Maharashtra declared drought in 304 of the state’s 358 talukas following deficient rainfall this year.
Who qualifies for the ₹5,000 assistance?
The advance payment is intended for farmers whose crops have suffered more than 33% damage in the 304 drought-hit talukas.
The Cabinet has approved ₹5,000 per eligible farmer as advance relief. The announcement does not mean that every farmer in a drought-hit taluka automatically qualifies, as the crop-damage threshold also applies.
The government has not specified in the reported announcement any additional eligibility conditions or a list of excluded beneficiaries.
How will farmers receive the money?
The ₹5,000 assistance will be transferred directly to eligible farmers’ bank accounts through DBT. The government has directed officials to expedite the process so that the money reaches beneficiaries before Diwali.
Why is Maharashtra paying ₹5,000 before the full drought-relief assessment is complete?
The Cabinet has approved the ₹5,000 as an advance payment. The government has not described it as the final relief package.
Sunil Tatkare, NCP state president, said the assistance was only an initial measure and urged the state government to provide additional aid beyond the norms prescribed under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).
A Cabinet sub-committee headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, comprising ministers from the BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP, will consider the issue of extending further assistance, Tatkare said, according to PTI.
Maharashtra farmer relief: FAQs on payment and additional compensation
What should farmers do if the ₹5,000 payment is not credited before Diwali?
The Maharashtra government has directed officials to ensure that the assistance reaches beneficiaries’ bank accounts before Diwali. However, the reported announcement does not specify a grievance-redressal process or a helpline for farmers whose payments are delayed.
Will farmers receive additional compensation beyond ₹5,000?
Additional assistance has not been finalised in the information reported so far. NCP state president Sunil Tatkare has called for relief beyond the existing SDRF and NDRF norms, and a Cabinet sub-committee is to consider the issue of extending further assistance.
Other Maharashtra Cabinet decisions
Apart from the farmer assistance, the Maharashtra Cabinet approved several other measures on October 27.
- Persons with disabilities: The Cabinet approved using 1% of the District Annual Plan (General) funds for their welfare, education, skill development, rehabilitation, employment and self-employment initiatives.
- MSRTC employees: The government issued a notification allocating ₹391.02 crore to the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation to facilitate salary payments to around 83,000 officers and employees ahead of Diwali.
- Chipi airport connectivity: The Cabinet approved 100% viability gap funding for airlines operating on the Navi Mumbai–Chipi and Chipi–Navi Mumbai routes to revive air services to the airport in Sindhudurg district.
- Electric vehicle manufacturing: Financial assistance of ₹66.82 crore was approved for Bajaj Auto Ltd under the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Promotion Policy.
- Exhibition centre in Pune: The government approved a national-level exhibition centre on the lines of Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.
- Water resources department: The Cabinet approved a revised staffing structure of 39,722 posts, including additional posts to manage the expansion of the state’s irrigated area.
-With PTI inputs