The Central government has announced financial assistance of Rs 400 crore to the Maharashtra government on Friday to provide relief to farmers affected by unseasonal rains. The announcement was made by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after an all-party delegation from the state led by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan met him in Delhi. The delegation apprised the Prime Minister of the losses incurred by farmers during the unseasonal rains in November and December. The delegation sought monetary assistance to overcome the natural calamity. The delegation included MPs from the state,ministers,BJP leader Gopinath Munde and Shiv Sena leader Anant Gite. The Prime Minister assured the delegation that the Centre was committed towards the interests of farmers. He announced an advance release of Central assistance of Rs 400 crore and said further assistance would be considered after assessment of the situation by a Central team. The state government has already announced a Rs 1,050-crore relief package on Wednesday. According to Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil,crops have been damaged over 12 lakh hectares in the state.
