States » WestPosted at: Oct 1 2026 10:37PM


Govt aims to provide drought relief to farmers before Diwali: Revenue Minister Bawankule

Bharat Ghandat
Nashik Oct 1 (UNI) The Maharashtra government is making efforts to complete crop damage assessments at the earliest so that farmers receive financial assistance before Diwali, Revenue Minister and Chairman of the Cabinet Sub-Committee on Drought Relief Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Thursday.
He said the Cabinet Sub-Committee had also recommended that farmers receive some financial assistance before the festival.
Bawankule announced that around 15 to 18 talukas that have not qualified under the Trigger-1 criteria but are facing actual drought conditions will also be brought under the drought relief framework based on accurate crop damage assessments and aanewari (crop yield assessment).
Speaking to the media, he said demands had been received from Vidarbha, Western Maharashtra and Nandurbar to include such talukas. Surveys would be conducted in phases, and a decision would be taken after discussions with Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
"In many places, crops appear green from above, but there is nothing underneath," Bawankule said, stressing that drought assessments should not be restricted to whether a taluka qualifies under Trigger-1.
He emphasised that accurate assessments, including the farmer's signature, were essential to establish the actual ground situation and ensure that eligible farmers receive assistance.
Bawankule said he would visit six districts over the next three days to verify whether crop damage assessments were being conducted properly. His schedule includes Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Jalna, followed by Akola and Buldhana, and Dhule and Jalgaon on October 4.
"I will check whether the designated teams are actually working in the field and whether genuine assessments are being carried out," he said.
The Revenue, Agriculture and Rural Development departments jointly conduct the assessments, with officials from all three departments signing the reports.
Bawankule said coordination among these departments was essential to ensure accuracy.
Bawankule expressed strong displeasure over an incident in which a ramp was reportedly constructed on a field boundary for a minister's visit, allowing officials to jump over farmers.
"Making fun of farmers in this manner is unacceptable. Constructing a ramp on the field boundary for a minister to jump over farmers is not appropriate. Action will be taken against the official concerned," he said.
He stressed that administrative machinery must remain available at the village, taluka and district levels to ensure effective drought management. He also said all district collectors had cancelled their leave.
Bawankule issued a stern warning to banks against pursuing farmers for loan recovery during the drought. "Banks must not harass farmers for loan recovery. If this happens, the government will take strict action," he said.
Chief Minister Fadnavis has instructed the Chief Secretary to ensure compliance. District collectors have been directed to convene meetings with all banks in their respective districts and communicate the instructions.
The directive covers cooperative credit societies, nationalised banks, private banks and District Central Cooperative Banks (DCCBs).
Bawankule also warned that illegal moneylending would not be tolerated. The government would identify individuals and practices that exploit farmers, defraud them or push them towards suicide.
He urged farmers facing harassment or fraud by moneylenders or banks to bring such cases to the government's attention.
The Chief Minister has granted full powers to the 11-member Cabinet Sub-Committee on Drought Relief, he said, adding that the final report would be submitted by October 25.
The government will make arrangements for water tankers, drinking water supply and cattle camps to address drought conditions. However, district collectors have also been instructed to approach major industrial units in their districts to mobilise assistance through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives.
Bawankule appealed to industrialists, business organisations and all sections of society to contribute to drought relief efforts.
The government will prioritise drinking water and fodder arrangements while allocating funds from District Planning Committees (DPCs) during the drought. Bawankule said unnecessary cement road projects should not be undertaken this year, particularly in villages facing the possibility of drinking water shortages or depletion of local water sources.
Instead, priority should be given to cattle camps, recharge shafts, watershed development, traditional water conservation structures, desilting and deepening of drains, and other water conservation works. He clarified that infrastructure projects could continue in areas where dam water or other water sources were adequately available.
However, undertaking cement road projects in villages where residents were struggling to access drinking water would be inappropriate. "Roads can be built next year. We have another three years. Farm roads and village roads can wait, but maximum funds must be diverted towards water-related works at present," he said.
He also stressed the need to focus on essential infrastructure such as healthcare, sanitation, water supply, school buildings and anganwadis.
Chief Minister Fadnavis has proposed allocating five per cent of the total District Planning Committee funds towards the Maharashtra Fodder Development Policy, Bawankule said.
Under the Revenue Department's proposed Rajmata Jijau Women's Empowerment Scheme, a women's self-help group will be allotted five acres of government revenue land and provided a grant of ₹1 lakh to cultivate fodder.
Bawankule criticised NCP (Sharad Pawar faction) MLA Rohit Pawar's remarks suggesting that ministers should not celebrate Diwali against the backdrop of the drought.
"Who is stopping anyone from blocking highways? He should come to my house. I will not celebrate Diwali, but he is welcome. Rohit Pawar should come to Nagpur," Bawankule said.
Questioning the criticism, he asked whether any minister was in the mood to celebrate Diwali while farmers were facing distress. He said the government had advised people to conduct wedding ceremonies simply, while MLAs had also cancelled birthday celebrations.
No minister, he added, was thinking about fireworks or festive lighting. "I urge Rohit Pawar to stand by farmers. There is no point in politicising the situation by threatening to target one minister or another," he said.
During the interaction, Bawankule congratulated pilot Smit Machhar for his courage in handling an aircraft following an attack on a Dubai–Tel Aviv flight. Despite the pilot being injured and facing an alleged attempt on his life, Machhar successfully managed the aircraft and saved the lives of 160 passengers, Bawankule said.
Bawankule announced that Aadhaar authentication has been made compulsory for land registrations across Maharashtra, with the government notification coming into effect on Thursday. "Aadhaar is now compulsory for property registration. No registration will be permitted without it," he said.
He said the absence of mandatory identity verification had contributed to fraudulent registrations and other irregularities, including cases in which land was allegedly acquired by falsely presenting individuals as farmers. The new requirement is expected to strengthen transparency and prevent fraudulent property transactions.
Bawankule said the government had resolved a long-pending rehabilitation issue involving families affected by the Surya irrigation project in Palghar district. The rehabilitation of villages such as Newale and Hanuman Nagar had taken place in 1970, but the absence of land records had created uncertainty over compensation and rehabilitation entitlements.
The government has now corrected the 1970 records and will issue property cards and 7/12 land extracts for every house in the affected areas. The move will clear the way for eligible families to receive land acquisition compensation and plots.
"The issue of Surya project-affected families had remained unresolved since 1970. They received justice at the Cabinet meeting yesterday," Bawankule said. ###
The Cabinet has approved the free allocation of government land in the Bela-Umred area of Nagpur district to rehabilitate poor and homeless citizens, Bawankule said. The proposal was initiated following a suggestion by union Minister Nitin Gadkari to use government land near the Bela Power Project for the rehabilitation of disadvantaged families.
The proposed Smart Village will benefit homeless citizens, members of the Phase Pardhi community and nomadic communities, he said.
Bawankule said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar were in favour of contesting upcoming elections together under the Mahayuti alliance.
However, he clarified that the official announcement regarding the alliance arrangement would be made by the respective party presidents.
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