Farm loan waiver, new houses for Maharashtra flood victims

Loan waiver for farmers, new houses for those who lost their dwellings built under the PM Awas Yojana in recent deluge and free foodgrains are among the slew of measures announced by the Maharashtra government on Monday for the people affected by the floods in the state.

Heavy rains and floods battered several areas of western Maharashtra and the Konkan region earlier this month, with Kolhapur and Sangli districts bearing the maximum brunt.

Addressing a press conference here, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said a committee will ascertain causes for the unprecedented floods and suggest measures to avoid their recurrence.

"Farmers who have lost agricultural crops spread over more than one hectares due to the floods will be eligible for loan waiver," he said.

A committee is being set up under the chairmanship of a retired state government officer, Nandkumar Wadnere, to study the reasons for the deluge and suggest steps to avoid its recurrence in the future, Fadnavis said.

Wadnere is a retired principal secretary of the water resources department.

"The state government will also pursue (with the Centre) its demand of offering relaxation in terms of filing Income Tax and GST returns in the flood-affected areas. We will take up this matter with the Centre," Fadnavis said.

He was speaking to reporters at his residence in south Mumbai after holding a meeting with senior bureaucrats.

The beneficiaries of Prime Minister Awas Yojana, who lost their houses due to the floods, will get a new house as well as Rs 1 lakh as cash assistance, Fadnavis said.

"We will also give foodgrains for the next three months free of cost to the flood-affected people," he said.

Small traders and merchants affected by the floods will get 75 per cent amount of their total loss or up to Rs 50,000 as financial assistance from the state, he said.

The chief minister informed that the last week's Cabinet proposal, seeking Rs 6,000-crore financial assistance from the Centre for the flood-hit areas, has been received by officials concerned in New Delhi.

"I was told by Union Home Minister Amit Shah that he has received the report. Once the report is received, a team to survey the areas will reach Maharashtra and this will be followed by (release) of the assistance," Fadnavis said.