Maha declares drought in 29,000 villages

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Maharashtra has declared “drought” in over 29,000 villages, mostly in the parched Marathwada and Vidarbha regions, where the grim situation was earlier described as ‘drought-like.’

The government through a corrigendum issued on Wednesday clarified that wherever reference is made to a ‘drought-like situation’ in the state manual, it would be read as ‘drought,’ in accordance with an assurance it gave to the Bombay high court recently.

The opposition Congress and the NCP, however, said that the Fadnavis government was not serious in addressing the situation and the move was only meant to avoid judicial action. 

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on his part said that the villages that have been declared drought-hit were already receiving benefits from the government and that the Drought Manual provided only for the word ‘drought-like.’ 

“We had already declared a drought-like situation in these villages. All benefits that are needed to be given were accorded. The High Court asked us why ‘drought-like’ and not ‘drought (is used in reference to the affected villages).We pointed out that the Manual was adopted more than 25 years back and it provides for the word drought-like. There is no word as drought in the manual,” said Fadnavis.

“We also pointed out that even if we call it drought by effecting changes in the manual, it will not attract anything new to be done. What we have done or doing will continue. The court asked us our willingness to change the manual and introduce the word drought. We said we are ready to do that. So we did that and conveyed it to the court,” he added.

State Congress chief and former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan alleged that the government was not serious in tackling drought and that the decision was taken keeping in mind the monsoon, which is drawing close.