Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking substantial assistance from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for farmers affected by heavy rains in the State. The two-page memorandum, signed by Mr. Fadnavis and his deputies Eknath Shinde and Ajit Pawar, was submitted to Mr. Shah, who was on a one-day visit to Mumbai.
It stated that the State government has approved ₹2,215 crore under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), but fears that the situation might worsen with the weather department forecasting severe rainfall and funds available under SDRF will not be sufficient. “Over 50 lakh hectares of cropland has been affected. We will soon send a detailed proposal to the Centre to seek funds under the NDRF,” it stated.
‘Relief being given’
Mr. Pawar said the State government has started disbursing urgent relief, with each flood-affected farmer being given ₹5,000 and 35 kg of foodgrain on an immediate basis.
Meanwhile, the death toll due to heavy rains over the past four months has risen to 86 in the Marathwada region, with 15 people losing their lives in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, seven in Jalna, six in Parbhani, 11 in Hingoli, 26 in Nanded, 11 in Beed, six in Latur, and four in Dharashiv. Thirteen people suffered injuries, and the total number of affected villages in the eight districts in the region stands at 1,745.
According to cumulative government data from June 1, the eight districts of Marathwada have faced crop losses on 23 lakh hectares, with the government claiming that 75% of panchnamas (documentation of losses) are over.
‘Insufficient support’
Terming the State government’s relief efforts “insufficient”, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray demanded complete loan waiver and ₹50,000 per hectare as compensation for farmers.
During his tour of flood-affected areas on Thursday, Mr. Thackeray threatened to hit the streets if immediate relief is not provided to farmers. He also asked the State government to demand funds from the Prime Minister under the PM CARES Fund. He also appealed to the PM to help the farmers in the same way as he announced ₹10,000 each for 75 lakh women under the Mukhya Mantri Mahila Rozgar Yojana in poll-bound Bihar.
“I have been touring several flood-hit regions in Marathwada since this morning. I don’t want to make this political, but if the government aid is grossly insufficient, we can’t accept it. Such a catastrophe has been experienced after decades. Crops, lives, livestock, and livelihoods are lost. The soil has been washed away,” he said.
“What the government is offering as relief at present is a joke,” the Sena (UBT) chief said, pointing out that the AAP government in Punjab had announced relief of ₹50,000 per hectare for its farmers affected by floods. “If Punjab can give it, why can’t Maharashtra?” he added.
Mr. Thackeray also appealed to the Prime Minister to visit Marathwada and announce Central aid to the farmers. “During COVID-19, thousands of crores of rupees were collected in the PM CARES Fund. Nobody knows what happened to those funds. The government should give aid to the farmers from that fund,” he said, adding that if the government fails to give complete loan waiver to farmers, his party will hit the streets.
Mr. Thackeray also criticised members of the ruling Mahayuti for claiming that the government was spending crores on the Ladki Bahin Yojana. He asked if the monthly aid of ₹1,500 under the scheme was sufficient to take care of the devastated households.
His party also alleged that the Mahayuti government only made announcements about relief, but did not disburse the funds. It claimed that from March 2023 to July 2024, the government had approved ₹13,819 crore for relief work, and ₹2,236 crore from July to September 2025. “But not more than 30% of the funds were actually disbursed. The government needs to give an answer,” said Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve.
State Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal also visited the flood-affected areas and sought urgent monetary relief for farmers. He criticised the government for allegedly lacking funds for farmers while spending on other projects. “The government has funds to poach MLAs and build the Shaktipeeth Expressway, but not for farmers,” Mr. Sapkal said, demanding a special package from the Centre.
Mr. Sapkal also criticised Ministers for their alleged remarks about lack of funds and called them ‘insensitive’. “The Mahayuti government is arrogant and insensitive,” he said.
Published – September 26, 2025 02:04 am IST
