Maharashtra CM declares additional funds for drought-hit districts

Mumbai: In a bid to provide relief to droughthit regions of Maharashtra, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has declared additional funds to provide water tankers, solve electricity problems and provide education to children in rural areas.

Fadnavis made the declaration after assessing the detailed reports filed by Ministers touring the drought regions of the state on Friday.

Cabinet ministers from both BJP and Shiv Sena, including ministers of state yesterday toured 29 talukas of drought affected Beed, Latur and Osmanabad districts.

The ministers took stock of the severe water shortage plaguing the three districts and submitted a report to the chief minister last evening.

"We are already providing 1799 water tankers as relief measures. If needed, we will provide Rs 15 crore to Latur Municipal Corporation for additional tankers," Fadnavis said.

"In order to provide better electricity, we will provide Rs 561 crore for Marathwada region. Previously, the governments used to provide around Rs 300-400 crore for the purpose," he said.

Fadnavis said the state government is working out the modalities of providing additional monetary benefits for students.

He further said farmers in the drought-affected regions who could not make use of electricity pumps in absence of power, will not have to pay electricity bills.

"We will allocate Rs 37 crore to provide water through Bhandarwadi dam and Rs 12 crore for water distribution in Udir city," he said.

Fadnavis said that he has directed officials to chalk out a plan that would permanently solve water problems of Latur.

"How so ever big the problems may be, we will solve them through an active participation of all stakeholders," he said.