The Maharashtra government is yet to announce a package for the rain-ravaged Konkan and western region but its Relief and Rehabilitation Minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday said that the State would be transferring ₹10,000 into the accounts of every flood-hit victim as emergency aid.
Mr. Wadettiwar said that the direct transfers to help the flood victims till the government came up with a comprehensive package would begin on Saturday.
“Often, in the aftermath of such natural disasters, there are allegations and apprehensions of money being misappropriated or not having reached the intended recipient. We do not want to fall into that trap and hence the relief money will be directly credited to the flood victims’ account,” he stated.
Mr. Wadettiwar said that all district authorities had been instructed to complete their damage assessments within eight days and that the report would be sent to the Centre as well.
Tragic losses
More than 210 persons and 20,000 livestock have lost their lives in landslides and other rain-related accidents in the past one week and more than two lakh people have had their homes and properties destroyed by the floodwaters. More than four lakh hectares of cropland in eight districts have been damaged besides staggering losses to rural infrastructure.
While former Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis criticised the State government for its tardiness in declaring a package, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar urged the Centre to declare an immediate package for the flood-hit in Maharashtra similar to what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had done for Gujarat, which bore the brunt of Cyclone Tauktae in May.
“Gujarat was immediately granted a ₹1,000 crore package after the Prime Minister’s visit. I—f the Centre wishes, it can declare something similar to that to alleviate Maharashtra’s plight,” Mr. Pawar said.
