After the Centre rejected Maharashtra’s Rs3,500-crore drought aid, the state government will make a fresh assessment of the drought-hit villages.
After the Centre rejected Maharashtra’s Rs3,500-crore drought aid, the state government will make a fresh assessment of the drought-hit villages.
Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar told DNA on Tuesday: “We will rework the drought package in September based on ground situation in every village. We will follow the Centre’s guidelines and list villages not talukas in our new proposal and the percentage of crops sown.”
Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said that the Centre would consider the proposal only if it is tailored according to the specifications set by it.
“Notwithstanding the Centre’s financial help, the state government will continue its relief and rehabilitation operations in the drought-hit talukas in state,” he added.
The state schemes for the drought-hit places include providing drinking water through tankers, fodder for animals and 150 days’ work for people under the employment guarantee schemes for their livelihood.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan along with the ministry of finance, ministry of relief and rehabilitation and ministry of employment guarantee scheme will hold a meeting this week to rework the drought package.
Last week, Chavan led a delegation of state ministers to the Centre for drought aid but returned empty-handed as the proposal was rejected.
The group of ministers in Delhi said: “The proposal did not meet the criteria laid down by the Centre.”
Union finance minister P Chidambaram objected to faulty selection of talukas for drought aid.
The Centre was unhappy with the state as its proposal was not based on ground situation but driven by politics.
“There were at least six talukas listed as drought-affected despite receiving 75% rainfall and 75% sowing of crops,” said a senior state minister, who attended the meeting.
The Centre has urged Chavan to rework the entire proposal in the Centre’s format based on actual ground situation instead of inflating the statistics to gain additional financial package.
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