India News | Maha Government Seeks EC Nod to Release Flood Aid to Farmers
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Maharashtra minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday said in view of the ensuing Legislative Council polls, the state government has written to the Election Commission seeking permission to provide previously announced financial assistance to farmers affected by floods.
Mumbai, Nov 5 (PTI) Maharashtra minister Vijay Wadettiwar on Thursday said in view of the ensuing Legislative Council polls, the state government has written to the Election Commission seeking permission to provide previously announced financial assistance to farmers affected by floods.
The Relief and Rehabilitation Minister told reporters that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's promiseto farmers that financial aid would be provided to them before Diwali (falling next weekend) would be fulfilled.
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"The announcement for financial relief to farmers was made before the schedule for the Legislative Council polls was declared by the EC.
"Decision regarding the assistance was taken before the EC's announcement of the poll schedule," he said.
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The announcement of Council poll schedule has triggered the model code of conduct in election-bound constituencies.
The minister said funds would be transferred to district collectors who in turn will disburse them in bank accounts of farmers.
In the first phase, a sum of Rs 4,700 crore will be disbursed to cultivators who suffered crop losses due to recent floods, he said.
The government has announced a relief package of Rs 10,000 crore for farmers whose crops were destroyed in rains and floods which affected western Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha.
The EC has announced elections to five Legislative Council seats from teachers and graduates constituencies whose term ended on July 19. Polls were postponed in view of the COVID-19 lockdown and they will now be held on December 1.
The constituencies where elections will be held are: Aurangabad division, Pune division and Nagpur division (all graduates), Amravati division and Pune division (both teachers).
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)