Govt allots Rs 1,500 cr for aid to Marathwada farmers hit by heavy rains from May to Aug
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (PTI): The Maharashtra government has allotted Rs 1,500 crore for disbursal of aid to farmers, who suffered crop losses due to heavy rains between May and August this year in the Marathwada region of the state, a senior official said.
Notably, most parts of the Marathwada region, comprising eight districts, witnessed torrential rains and flooding recently, and the work of assessing crop losses is currently underway.
"The state government has disbursed Rs 1,500 crore to provide compensation to the farmers who faced crop losses from May to August in Marathwada. The process to pay the amount has begun and the money will directly go into the accounts of the affected farmers," Divisional Commissioner Jitendra Papalkar told PTI on Friday.
Instructions have been given to the officials to upload the lists (of affected farmers) immediately, he said.
Heavy rains and swollen rivers have caused large-scale damage in Marathwada since September 20, claiming at least nine lives. Flooding destroyed crops on lakhs of acres in parts of the state, especially the Marathwada region.
"There is an alert of more rain in the region for the next three to four days. Therefore, we have informed the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and its state counterpart SDRF to remain on standby. Eighty per survey of the crop losses is over now," Papalkar said.
The state is also giving priority to providing financial assistance to the family members of those who lost their lives in the recent floods, he said.
Apart from the crop losses, the region has suffered infrastructure-related losses, the official said.
"We are carrying out the assessment work. At present, our priority is to help the kin of those who have lost lives, lost their animals and houses due to the rains last week, apart from giving compensation to farmers," he added.
The Marathwada region in the central part of the state comprises Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Jalna, Latur, Parbhani, Nanded, Hingoli, Beed and Dharashiv districts.
Rain-related incidents have claimed the lives of 86 persons across eight districts of the Marathwada region in Maharashtra so far during the ongoing monsoon season, officials have said.
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JD(S) wants changes in certain provisions in One Nation-One Election proposal
Bengaluru (PTI): The JD(S) has requested its ally BJP to make changes in certain provisions of the proposed 129th Constitutional Amendment Bill linked to the ONOE proposal, particularly the special powers proposed to be given to the ECI to recommend postponement of elections in any state.
The Parliamentary Joint Committee held discussions with political parties in Bengaluru on Saturday regarding the Constitution Amendment Bill connected to 'One Nation-One Election' and sought their suggestions and opinions.
The JD(S) said suitable amendments had been proposed to the provisions empowering the Election Commission of India to recommend to the President the deferment of state elections, while also seeking legal safeguards for the stability of coalition governments and protection for regional parties during simultaneous elections.
"With regard to the Bill, the JD(S) extended support to the Constitutional amendment with certain conditions and amendments, while suggesting safeguards to ensure that regional parties are not adversely affected by the aggressive election campaigns of national parties during simultaneous elections," the statement said.
The party stated that coalition governments have been formed and functioning at both the state and national levels for several decades in recent years, and "there is a need for legal protection to ensure their stability".
"Therefore, it also suggested incorporating legal safeguards for the stability of coalition governments in the proposed Constitutional amendment," the party, headed by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, said.
The proposed Constitutional amendment grants special powers to the ECI to recommend to the President the postponement of elections in any state. Suitable amendments to these special powers have been proposed, the party said.
"On the above stated subjects, suitable submissions were made to the JPC," the party said in a statement, which has been posted on its 'X' handle.
According to the statement, the JD(S) delegation was led by M Mallesh Babu and included former MP D Kupendra Reddy, former Assembly Deputy Speaker M Krishna Reddy, former minister Venkatrao Nadagouda, MLA T N Javarayi Gowda, former MLA K A Tippeswamy and party legal cell president A P Ranganath.
