Cabinet sub-committee formed in Maharashtra to monitor drought situation weekly: CM Devendra Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday announced that the State government has initiated immediate drought-relief measures by forming a cabinet sub-committee to monitor the situation on a weekly basis.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday announced that the State government has initiated immediate drought-relief measures by forming a cabinet sub-committee to monitor the situation on a weekly basis. He said that municipal bodies have been instructed to ensure adequate drinking water provisions and arrangements for drinking water will be made to tackle the evoling drought situation.

To streamline operations, the state government has constituted a specialised cabinet sub-committee chaired by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule. The panel also includes key state ministers. The cabinet sub-committee is tasked with conducting weekly reviews of the drought-like situation and overseeing the deployment of mitigation measures across affected districts.

Chief Minister Fadnavis, along with Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Pawar, will take all the policy decisions regarding the drought. He said that even though assistance will be sought from the central government, the State will not wait for central aid and will take necessary decisions based on the prevailing situation.

Earlier in the day,  Maharashtra Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule asserted that the Central Government has consistently provided assistance to Maharashtra during times of agrarian distress and drought. Praising the decision of Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) MPs to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi in view of the drought situation in the State, he emphasised that holding talks with him will definitely yield positive results.

"One should meet the Prime Minister, and the reality of the situation should be conveyed to the Prime Minister. There is no problem in explaining the reality, and the Central Government does help. The central government has provided assistance during droughts. When all MPs meet him, positive feedback will definitely be received from Prime Minister Modi," he said. Earlier on Monday, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister Pankaja Munde assured that the state administration is taking comprehensive measures to support farmers facing crop losses and water scarcity due to drought-like conditions.

Munde underscored key financial interventions made by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to ease the burden on the farmers by implementing a loan waiver worth Rs 32,000 crore and waiving off their electricity bills. "As a Guardian Minister and a Cabinet Minister, we are very concerned about the water situation and how farmers are going through this. The yield of the farmers is not as expected, but all the reviews will be compiled, and we will stand very strongly behind the farmers. Our Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has given them financial support by implementing a loan waiver worth 32,000 crore, and we have also waived off their electricity bills," she said. (ANI)