Maharashtra cabinet forms panel to oversee drought relief, assist affected farmers

The Maharashtra cabinet on Tuesday decided to set up a sub-committee headed by the revenue minister to oversee drought relief measures and take necessary decisions for providing assistance to affected farmers.

The cabinet sub-committee has been given full powers to take decisions on measures required from time to time, according to a brief of the cabinet decisions issued by the chief minister's secretariat.

A preliminary notification on drought relief is expected to be issued by Saturday. Ministers will visit affected areas and inspect the situation on the ground to expedite delivery of assistance to farmers, the release said.

In another decision, the cabinet approved allotment of developed plots on an ownership basis to project-affected farmers from Mogharapada whose land was acquired for the integrated car shed depot for Mumbai Metro Lines 4, 4A and 10.

The cabinet also approved cluster redevelopment of buildings under the Maharashtra Housing and Area Development Authority (MHADA) at Ramkrishnanagar in Mumbai's Khar area to replace old and dilapidated structures and provide better infrastructure.

It also approved cancellation of the reservation for a playground and garden on survey no. 103 at Devpur in Dhule Municipal Corporation limits, and their inclusion in the public-semi-public zone.

The cabinet also cancelled the revised staffing structure of the agriculture department and decided to temporarily retain the staffing structure approved in 2009.

A comprehensive review of the department's workload, available manpower, vacant posts, cadre-wise requirements, field-level machinery, workload arising from farmer-centric schemes and future administrative requirements will be undertaken before a fresh proposal for the revised staffing structure is submitted, the release said.