NASHIK: After disbursement of the first corpus of Rs 181.50 crore relief fund to over 2.50 lakh rain-affected farmers in the district, the affected farmers are still waiting for the second tranche of Rs. 396.62 crore which is still lying unspent on taluka level on account of an incomplete list of beneficiaries.
In the last two days, the administration has disbursed aid to 15 rain-hit talukas and the taluka authorities have been instructed to deposit the relief fund directly into the bank a/cs of the eligible farmers in the next 15 days.
Unfortunately, the fund received by the taluka authorities is still lying idle due to the slow pace of work to prepare a final list of eligible farmers.
As per the norms, Rs 8,000 per hectare up to two hectares for agricultural Kharif crops and Rs 18,000 per hectare up to two hectares for horticulture/perennial crops are to be disbursed. Following receipt of the second installment of the relief fund, the district administration had diverted the fund to rain-hit talukas for disbursement.
However, the eligible farmers have so far not received a credit for the compensation from taluka authorities on account of an incomplete list of the beneficiary farmers. The district administration is still working on the preparation of a final list of the beneficiaries to whom the fund is to be disbursed.
Earlier in the first phase, out of the 7.50 lakh affected farmers, over 2.50 lakh farmers had received direct credit into their bank a/cs. The retreating rains in the months of October and November had wreaked havoc in the district damaging vineyards, maize, soyabean, bajra, cotton, jwar, onion, vegetable, and other horticultural crops severely on 6.50 lakh hectares of land.
Barring taluka of Peth, 14 other talukas including the worst-hit Malegaon, Chandwad, Nandgaon, Niphad, Kalwan, Baglan and Sinnar, had suffered huge crop damage.
