Maharashtra to draw Rs 2,000 crore for the drought-affected; funds will be used for programmes to tackle water scarcity till June

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government on Tuesday decided to draw Rs 2,000 crore from the state contingency fund for undertaking drought relief measures. The decision was taken at the state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. “It is a temporary arrangement made from time to time to draw funds to support the drought-affected people. The funds will be used for basic support like supplying water tankers and other programmes to be undertaken to tackle water scarcity till June,” a government official said. [caption id=“attachment_5080451” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. PTI[/caption] The Cabinet also cleared proposals to increase the funding for cotton mills in the state. The decision is expected to benefit most of the cotton mills in Marathwada and Vidarbha regions. The Cabinet also decided to launch the Chief Minister Cattle Health Scheme under which 349 mobile veterinary hospitals will be set up. In the first phase, 80 such hospitals will be set up in remote and hilly areas of Maharashtra, a Cabinet note said. “The decision will have a wider impact as such medical support in the state was in demand since a long time, but nobody did anything. The Cabinet has now approved the proposal, which will help in saving the lives of cattle,” the official said. The Cabinet also approved a proposal to implement the Centre-sponsored Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, for schemes including electrification, supply of LPG cylinders and providing insurance policies, among others, in rural areas. Gram Swaraj Abhiyan is a two-phase programme rolled out by the central government to deliver benefits to all poor households in 66,028 villages of the country. It covers benefits under seven flagship welfare programmes Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (for LPG cylinders, Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (electricity connection scheme), UJALA programme (provision of LED bulbs), Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana, Jan Dhan accounts and Indradhanush (universal immunisation programme).