Mumbai, Dec 3 (IANS) The Maharashtra government has formally submitted a detailed memorandum on December 1 to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking urgent assistance under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for the unprecedented floods of June-September 2025, which caused widespread devastation across Marathwada, Konkan, Vidarbha, and Western Maharashtra.

This was announced by the Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Wednesday, a day after the Union Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan informed the Parliament on Tuesday that the Central Government has not received any formal proposal or memorandum from the Government of Maharashtra seeking special financial assistance for farmers affected by recent floods and heavy rains.

“The scale of damage to lives, homes, crops, livestock, and public infrastructure far exceeds the resources available under the SDRF. Therefore, the State has requested immediate NDRF support to enable urgent relief, rehabilitation, and the restoration of critical infrastructure and livelihoods,” said Minister Bawankule.

He further added, “We respectfully urge the Ministry of Home Affairs to accord the highest priority to this submission and process it at the earliest, given the grave magnitude of losses and the pressing need to deliver timely relief to affected families and rebuild essential public assets in the flood-hit districts.”

Minister Bawankule said that the state government has also ensured that farmers’ compensation and public infrastructure requirements have been comprehensively included in the memorandum.

“We are confident that the Central Government will provide NDRF assistance at the earliest as per established norms. Maharashtra stands firmly committed to rebuilding lives and restoring normalcy for our people,” he added.

However, the opposition slammed the Mahayuti government for its delay in sending a detailed proposal to the Centre seeking help for farmers hit by heavy rains and floods in various parts of the state.

NCP SP legislator Rohit Pawar, in his post on X, told the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, “You misled the farmers of the state by lying this morning regarding sending the report on heavy rainfall to the central government. Your government sent the report to the central government on 27th November, and I am attaching that letter herewith. I expect that upon seeing this letter, you will apologise to the people of Maharashtra.”

He further stated that the inactive state government has turned into a circus, where no one is in sync with anyone, adding that due to the infighting among the three parties over the taps, the basic issues of the people remain unresolved, and the common people are being trampled in the circus of these three parties.

Shiv Sena UBT leader Ambadas Danve targeted the state government, saying that with the assembly session right around the corner, the state sent this proposal to the centre (27/11/2025) out of sheer necessity to avoid any uproar.

“The skies have already struck the farmers, and now the government’s Tughlaq-Sultani policy is stripping Balaraja (farmers) naked. Whether the proposal is received or not, the picture became crystal clear today! Now, after some contemplation, whenever the centre takes pity, they will send meagre aid to Maharashtra’s farmers. But even that will come after the rabi season has passed,” said Danve.

NCP SP working president and party MP Supriya Sule said that the state government is not serious about the loan waiver.

“Even though a few months have passed since the heavy rains, the Maharashtra government has not yet submitted a proposal for loan waiver,” she said.

She said that the central government itself has revealed the true situation in this regard, adding that while the farmer brothers in the state are in a pitiable condition, the ruling party is busy conducting elections for local self-government institutions and campaigning by flying in helicopters.

“This is an extremely heartbreaking picture. It is clear that this government’s priority is not the loan waiver for farmer brothers, but election campaigning,” she said.

–IANS

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