Following the announcement of one of the biggest relief packages for farmers hit by floods and heavy rain in the state, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said that the priority is to provide relief to farmers and it will require reappropriation of funds. “We will have to suffer the stress if we are to help farmers. We had no idea about the calamity of this nature while preparing the budget. Therefore, while spending the money, we will have to reduce the expenditure on some. Presently, we will reappropriate the available funds and start making the payment. Further course will be decided in the December session,” said Fadnavis. The government on Tuesday announced a package of Rs 31,628 crore to the flood-affected regions in Maharashtra. The CM’s statement comes a day after his cabinet colleague and senior minister Chhagan Bhujbal while blaming the expenditure on Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme had said that all departments were facing fund crunch. Bhujbal was referring to Rs 40,000-45,000 crore annual expenditure on Majhi Ladki Bahin scheme under which Rs 1,500 is deposited every month into the accounts of eligible women. Meanwhile, the CM reiterated that the promise made by Mahayuti government regarding farm loan waiver will be completed. “However, right now it is more important to extend direct benefits than the farm loan waiver. We have not drifted away from our promise of farm loan waiver, but priority is to extend aid,” he said. Fadnavis claimed the benefits extended by the present package is more than the total farm loan waiver announced by Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government led by Uddhav Thackeray. Fadnavis alleged that it was the government under CM Eknath Shinde which fulfilled the loan waiver scheme announced by the earlier government.
