Drought declared in 12 of Chandrapur's 15 talukas; Collector Vasumana Pant reviews relief measures

Drought has been declared in 12 of Chandrapur district's 15 talukas. Against this backdrop, Collector Vasumana Pant held a review meeting on drought relief measures on September 29 and gave directions to various departments. Chief Executive Officer Pulkit Singh was present at the meeting.

The state government has decided to implement 12 kinds of measures and concessions for drought-hit areas under a special head. These include a waiver on land revenue, restructuring of crop loans and a rebate on electricity bills for farm pumps. Details will be given at the gram sabhas on October 2.

Collector Pant said the extent of the land revenue concession to be given in each taluka should be reported immediately. On crop loan restructuring, he asked the District Lead Bank Manager to provide, without delay, the number of farmers in the district who have been given loans so far, the number whose loans have been waived and the number whose loans need restructuring. Bank officials should also be told to be present at the October 2 gram sabhas to explain loan restructuring.

Banks were asked to be given written orders to halt recovery of farm-related loans. The collector said that if recovery is under way and a complaint is received, action should be taken against the bank concerned. It was also directed that at least one work under the Employment Guarantee Scheme be started in every gram panchayat of the drought-hit talukas.

Mahavitaran was directed to plan the rebate on existing electricity bills for farm pumps. To tackle the drought, departments should take up the proposed works from the District Planning Committee fund and inform villagers about these works at the October 2 gram sabhas. Pant also said meetings of all departments should be held at the sub-divisional and tehsil levels.

Those present included Resident Additional Collector Dagdu Kumbhar, District Superintendent Agriculture Officer Shankar Totawar, Sub-Divisional Officer (Employment Guarantee Scheme) Shubham Dandekar, Divisional Forest Officer Rajan Talmale, Deputy Chief Executive Officer Girish Dhaygude, Animal Husbandry Deputy Commissioner Dr Suresh Kumre, District Lead Bank Manager Ashish Sonone, District Supply Officer Rahul Bahadurkar and District Disaster Management Officer Salim Shaikh, among others.

The state government's 12 concessions are: 1) waiver on land revenue, 2) restructuring of crop loans, 3) halt on recovery of farm-related loans, 4) rebate on existing electricity bills for farm pumps, 5) waiver of examination fees for school and college students, 6) starting as many works as possible under the Employment Guarantee Scheme by relaxing work norms, 7) use of tankers to supply drinking water where needed, 8) no disconnection of power to farmers' pumps in villages declared scarcity-hit, 9) ensuring farmers and labourers dependent on agriculture do not face a shortage of foodgrain, 10) arranging the fodder needed for livestock, 11) starting water conservation works, and 12) planning drinking water for people and water for livestock.