Faced with its toughest challenge within a month of assuming office, the Bharatiya Janata Party government in Maharashtra has sought the Centre’s help to tackle drought in the Marathwada region.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought Rs. 4,500 crore from the Narendra Modi government on Thursday to provide aid to farmers in over 19,000 villages who have lost their crops.
The State government announced a 33.5 per cent subsidy on power, a stay on the recovery of agricultural loan, provision of tankers and an examination fee rebate for students.
At a press conference in Aurangabad on Thursday, Mr. Fadnavis declared that the river-linking project to bring excess water to Marathwada from the Konkan region would be taken up on priority. “The Centre has given us permission to go ahead with three river-linking projects. It will bring an extra 80 tmcft of water to Marathwada,” he said.
The new government is facing flak from other political parties, which feel it is not doing enough to provide relief to drought-prone areas. Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray toured the entire region with all 63 party MLAs and criticised the government for its “apathy.”
On Thursday, Mr. Thackeray appealed to Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao to visit the areas and to direct the government to take immediate measures.
