In another blow to farmers, Maharashtra state government has refused compensation to lakhs of drought-hit farmers who do not have bank accounts. Possessing a bank account is now a mandatory requirement for claiming the compensation.
In a bid to curtail leakages, Maharashtra government, since 2014, has been sending aid directly to the bank accounts of the farmers.
According to the official data, state government had disbursed aid of Rs 4000 Crore for around 90 lakh farmers that have been impacted by the drought in 2014-15. Out of this, only 65 lakh farmers have received compensation, while 26 per cent are still awaiting the relief amount.
So far, Rs 3395 crore has been allocated to farmers and the leftover Rs 460 crore that amounts to be 11 percent of the aid has been returned.
“In some cases, compensation did not reach farmers because the claimant was missing or there was a dispute among beneficiaries. But in many cases, the aid was returned because the farmers did not have bank accounts," said Relief and rehabilitation minister Eknath Khadse.
What is more surprising is the fact that majority of the aid returned was from the chronically drought-prone regions of Vidarbha and Marathwada. Both regions report highest number of farmers’ suicide every year, which is in thousands.
Reportedly, district officials from Marathwada have returned funds of Rs 190 crore, while Vidarbha region gave back Rs 201 crore. Nashik division had also sent back aid worth Rs 62.5 crore.
The Southwest Monsoon in 2014 was deficit by 12 per cent, with Marathwada and Vidarbha recording deficits of 42 per cent and 14 per cent, respectively.
