Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has launched a relief initiative for drought-affected farmers, with Rs 5,000 being credited to eligible farmers’ bank accounts and Diwali ration being delivered to homes and fields across affected areas, according to an official statement reported by Mid-Day.
Shinde flagged off trucks carrying ration and other relief supplies from his residence in Thane on Tuesday. The initiative will be implemented through assistance from the state government and the Shiv Sena, with hundreds of trucks scheduled to travel to drought-hit areas in phases.
Party workers will deliver festive essentials directly to farmers, including at their homes and fields, the report said. The flag-off event was attended by Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, Thane MP Naresh Mhaske, MLA Ravindra Phatak, Thane Mayor Sharmila Pimpalolkar, Shiv Sena office-bearers and party workers.
Speaking at the event, Shinde said the government would continue supporting farmers facing difficulties because of drought. He said the Chief Minister, ministers, legislators and MPs had visited drought-affected areas to understand the problems faced by farming families.
The deputy chief minister said the government had accepted the demand to declare drought in Maharashtra and would provide assistance to affected farmers. He said Rs 5,000 in financial aid was being credited to farmers’ bank accounts. The assistance is intended to help families manage household expenses, children’s education and wedding-related costs, according to the report.
The announcement comes after farmers faced crop losses from heavy rainfall last year and drought-related damage this year, Shinde said. The statement did not provide the total number of beneficiaries, the districts covered, the overall cost of the ration programme or a district-wise schedule for the deliveries.
The Shiv Sena will continue sending trucks carrying essential supplies during the Dussehra rally, Shinde said. He also announced that the party would help meet wedding expenses for daughters from drought-affected farming families. Members of the legislative assembly, district chiefs and taluka-level party leaders have been instructed to identify families that may require such support.
Shinde said the relief effort reflected the Shiv Sena’s stated principle of devoting 80 per cent of its work to social service and 20 per cent to politics. He also said the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were supporting farmers, without detailing the specific central schemes or funds involved in the initiative.
The next phase of the programme will involve the dispatch of additional trucks and the identification of farming families requiring assistance, according to the statements cited in the report.
