Maharashtra Cabinet decided to disburse aid to drought-hit farmers by 26 January 2015

Maharashtra Cabinet on 13 January 2015 decided to disburse 2000 crore ruppes aid to drought-hit farmers by 26 January 2015. The aid is the compensation to the farmers affected by drought during the 2014 kharif season.

The decision to provide 2000 crore rupees as aid to drought-affected farmers was taken by the Maharashtra Cabinet on 7 January 2015.

Further, it was also decided that the amount shall be deposited in the farmers' bank accounts and no cash will be given to them. If the farmers do not have bank accounts, a zero balance account will be opened under the Jan Dhan Yojana and the money will be deposited in it.

Out of the 2000 crore rupees, 4500 rupees a hectare will be given for rainfed areas, 9000 rupees a hectare for irrigated areas and 12000 rupees a hectare for horticultural crops.
The aid will be distributed as 845.55 crore rupees for Aurangabad division, 386.62 crore rupees for Nasik division, 7.5 crore rupees for Pune division, 500.93 crore rupees for Amravati division and 259.40 crore rupees for Nagpur division.

The aid is applicable to all land-holding farmers. Those owning big plots will get a compensation for one hectare of affected land only. Farmers with non-irrigated land will get 4500 rupees, those with irrigated land will get 9000 rupees, and 12000 rupees for orchard farmers. Those affected who own less than one hectare will get 1000 rupees.

The natural calamities like drought, unseasonal rains and hailstorms have resulted in major crop loss during the rabi season in around 24000 villages. It affected crops of on 1.12 lakh hectares in October 2014. It has also led to suicides in parts of Vidarbha and Marathwada.