The Maharashtra government has distributed 4,500 tonnes of grains to farmers in 14 drought-hit districts since the announcement of the measure five days ago.
"The government had started distribution of foodgrains under the National Food security scheme from Independence Day (August 15). And in the last five days, we have distributed around 4,500 tonnes of foodgrains in 14 districts that are plagued with farmer suicides," an official from the Chief Minister's office said.
The official said that eight regions in Aurangabad district, five regions in Amravati and Wardha in Nagpur district have been supplied with foodgrains to cease farmer suicides and to help them financially.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on the Independence Day announced that APL farmers, who are not covered under the national food security scheme, too would get rice at Rs 3 per kg and wheat at Rs 2 per kg.
"After the CM's announcement, all guardian ministers at the district level and legislators at the level of tehsils had been given the responsibility of distributing foodgrains to farmers.
"According to the Food Security Scheme, every person in the family has got 5 kg of foodgrains. Farmers in 140 teshils from 14 districts have befitted from this," the official said.
He said that the state government has procured a total of 11,000 tonnes of A quality rice and wheat and out of that 7,033 tonnes of foodgrains have been collected.
"Out of that, we have distributed 4,530 tonnes of foodgrains among farmers. The rest of the foodgrains too will be distributed soon," the official said.
