NASHIK: The formalities of formation for a new government in the state are over. Yet lakhs of rain-hit farmers in the district are still deprived of the second corpus of financial aid after receipt of the first corpus of Rs 181.50 crore from the then state administration ruled by the governor.
In the first phase, a fund of Rs 179.14 crore was disbursed to the rain-affected farmers in the district. The district administration has claimed that it has disbursed 98.70% of the fund it has received. The compensatory amount has been transferred into the bank a/cs of as many as 2.50 lakh affected farmers.
The administration is however still waiting for second tranche of aid from the state government as there are still 5.26 lakh rain-hit farmers in the district who have yet to get relief. The prolonged rains had affected 7.76 lakh farmers and damaged crop on 6,47,315 hectares of field in the district.
The govt had released Rs 181.50 crore as an immediate financial relief in the first phase. The retreating rains had wreaked havoc in the district damaging vineyards, maize, soyabean, bajra, jwar, onion and other horticultural crops severely. Barring taluka of Peth, 14 other talukas including the worst hit Malegaon Chandwad, Niphad, Kalwan and Sinnar, were badly hit.
The district administration had sought Rs 636 crore as an immediate assistance to give relief to the rain-hit farmers in the district. However it could receive a meagre Rs 181.50 crore assistance. As per the relief measures, Rs 8,000 per hectare up to two hectares for agricultural Kharif crops and Rs 18,000 per hectare up to two hectares for horticulture/perennial crops have been disbursed.
The govt also has exempted wards of the affected agriculturists from paying the educational fees.