Mumbai, Sep 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) In a decisive crackdown on administrative inaction amid a worsening dry spell, Maharashtra’s Drought Relief Sub-Committee Chairman and Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday issued strict directives stating that no bank or financial cooperative staff shall visit farmers’ homes for loan recovery during the ongoing drought crisis.
Speaking at a high-level review meeting, Minister Bawankule instructed Chief Secretary Rajesh Agarwal to write to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) seeking a formal circular staying all agricultural loan recoveries.
District Collectors and police officials have been directed to enforce the order strictly on the ground.
Bawankule said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had made drought mitigation the state’s highest priority and directed that key ground-level functionaries, including Talathis, Gram Sevaks and Agriculture Officers, must camp in their designated areas to support the farming community.
The crucial Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting was attended by key ministers, including Jaykumar Gore (Rural Development), Pratap Sarnaik (Transport), Babasaheb Patil (Cooperation), Girish Mahajan (Water Resources), Pankaja Munde (Environment and Climate Change), Sanjay Shirsat (Social Justice), and Makarand Patil (Relief and Rehabilitation), along with senior administrative officers.
Relief and Rehabilitation Additional Chief Secretary Vinita Ved Singhal informed the meeting that 265 talukas meet the ‘Trigger-1’ scarcity criteria.
Government Resolutions (GRs) are being expedited for 43 ‘Trigger-2’ talukas without waiting for procedural delays.
While sowing stands at 96 per cent, ground conditions remain alarming. The final ground-reality report is scheduled for submission by October 25.
Urban areas will undergo a mandatory 10 per cent water cut to build an emergency buffer for June.
Environment Minister Pankaja Munde recommended temporarily pausing personal and commercial construction approvals in severely affected regions. At the same time, Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan ordered power disconnections for illegal water lifting around lakes.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee ordered water distribution to prioritise drinking water first, followed by fodder crops, Rabi crops, and sugarcane, which will receive the lowest priority.
Rather than traditional cattle camps, the state will establish decentralised "Fodder Depots".
Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Makarand Patil ordered a strict ban on moving fodder out of Maharashtra.
A high-level three-secretary committee will formulate a comprehensive state fodder policy based on national best practices.
Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat emphasised strict oversight of crop-damage surveys (panchnamas).
To prevent the large-scale migration of landless farm labourers, District Collectors have been instructed to aggressively pool Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to create local employment opportunities.
Currently, 560 water tankers have been deployed across affected districts, with a special focus on critical regions such as Dharashiv.
The administration has been placed on high alert to secure drinking water and fodder supplies for the next 10 months, according to a government official.
Source: IANS
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