NCP(SP) Leader Urges Special Legislative Session Over Maharashtra Floods

In a letter sent to the Governor on Sunday, the NCP (SP) leader said that the three-day special session is urgently needed to address the crisis and take immediate action as the government’s response has been inadequate.

Patil said that the torrential rains have wreaked havoc across Maharashtra this year, with the intensity of the downpour increasing further in the past week. “Streams and rivers are overflowing, farmlands have turned muddy, livestock has perished, many people are stranded in flood-hit areas and several have lost their lives. There is chaos across the state,” he wrote in the letter.

If the state government calls a special session of the legislature in coming days, it will be able to take concrete decisions regarding the aid. If a three-day special session is called, all issues can be discussed. The floods have caused extensive damage to the crops as the fields have gone under water, Patil said.

Meanwhile NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar has urged the state government to urgently implement comprehensive relief and rehabilitation measures saying that heavy rains have caused immense losses to farmers and common citizens.

Pawar said that the ‘panchanama’ (assessment) process should not be restricted by rigid deadlines, stressing that completing assessments on time is often “impossible during such unprecedented calamities.”

“Losses that become evident later – such as houses collapsing due to structural damage or crops and livestock being affected after floodwaters recede – should also be considered for compensation,” he said.

Besides immediate financial aid, the former Union agriculture minister also suggested, the government should prepare a long-term revival and rehabilitation plan.

This plan should include special assistance for re-sowing crops, rejuvenating orchards, restoring land that has become infertile, and repairing irrigation infrastructure such as bunds, canals, wells and pumping systems. Desilting and soil conservation should be prioritised, he said.