Keypoints:
- State government writes to the EC seeking permission to provide financial aid to farmers
- The announcement of Council poll schedule has triggered the model code of conduct in election-bound constituencies.
On Thursday, Maharashtra Minister Vijay Wadettiwar said in view of the ensuing Legislative Council polls, the state government has written to the Election Commission seeking permission to provide the farmers affected by the floods, with the previously announced financial assistance.
The Relief and Rehabilitation Minister said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray promised farmers that the financial aid would be provided to them before the occasion of Diwali (falling this weekend) would be fulfilled.
The announcement about the financial relief to the farmers affected by floods, was made before the schedule for the Legislative Council polls was declared by the Election Commission.
“Decision regarding the assistance was taken before the EC’s announcement of the poll schedule,” he said.
The model code of conduct in the election bound constituencies has been triggered by the announcement of council poll schedule.
The funds would be transferred to district collectors who in turn will disburse the amount in the bank accounts of the farmers, said the minister.In the first phase, a sum of Rs 4,700 crore will be disbursed to cultivators who suffered crop losses due to recent floods, he said.
A relief package of Rs.10,000 crores has been announced by the government for the farmers whose crops were destroyed in rains and floods which affected Western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha.
The EC has announced elections to five Legislative Council seats from teachers and graduates constituencies whose term ended on July 19. Polls were postponed in view of the COVID-19 lockdown and they will now be held on December 1.
The release of almost 2,300 crore rupees by the government for the farmers affected by the floods, is the first installment from the 10,000 crore rupees release package that the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has announced this month.
The compensation has been released for distribution in Nagpur, Aurangabad, Amravati, Pune, Konkan and Nashik divisions. Compensation will be paid to those who lost their kin, whose homes were destroyed, farmers who lost their standing crops, those who lost their cattle and also for fishermen.
The State Government had promised to disburse funds before Diwali but the recent announcement of Legislative Council polls has made it difficult to distribute funds in poll-bound districts.
