Mr. Fadnavis directed senior officials, including Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar, to expedite the process of providing aid to affected cultivators
Mumbai: Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday expressed displeasure during a cabinet meeting at Mantralaya over the slow pace of disbursement of financial assistance to farmers affected by recent heavy rains and floods across Maharashtra. Despite the cabinet’s approval of a Rs 11,000-crore relief package in its previous meeting last week, only around Rs 5,100 crore has so far been disbursed to distressed farmers.
According to sources, Mr. Fadnavis directed senior officials, including Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar, to expedite the process of providing aid to affected cultivators.
Cabinet ministers Nitesh Rane and Bharat Gogawale also demanded urgent assistance for farmers in the Konkan region, where extensive paddy crop losses have been reported. According to data from the agriculture department, crops were damaged across 355 hectares in Ratnagiri, 1,271 hectares in Sindhudurg, 2,808 hectares in Raigad, and 1,392 hectares in Palghar in October.
A senior government official revealed that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has capped daily treasury disbursements at Rs 1,000 crore. However, the Relief and Rehabilitation Department has been releasing only Rs 600–700 crore per day. “The Chief Minister has instructed officials to utilise the maximum permissible limit to speed up the aid process,” the official said.
Ministers also voiced concern over mounting farmer grievances regarding non-receipt of financial aid. “Several ministers told the Chief Minister that they were facing anger from farmers in their constituencies over delays in payments,” a source said.
Cabinet Minister Gulab Rao Patil raised another pressing issue — the delay in opening procurement centres for cotton. Officials clarified that high moisture content in harvested cotton was preventing immediate procurement, resulting in the delay.
In September 2025, heavy rainfall and floods wreaked havoc across Marathwada and parts of western Maharashtra. On October 7, the state government announced a Rs 31,628-crore compensation package to support over 60 lakh farmers affected by crop losses and soil erosion. The package covers compensation for damaged crops, loss of life and property, and direct financial aid to farmers.
In another major decision, the cabinet approved the inclusion of additional medical treatments under the Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Jan Arogya Yojana (MJPJAY) and the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY). With this expansion, citizens in Maharashtra can now avail free treatment for 2,399 diseases under the Jan Arogya scheme.
“Until now, 1,356 diseases under 34 specialist services were covered. The number has now been expanded to 2,399 diseases across 38 specialist services, allowing free treatment of up to Rs five lakh,” Fadnavis said after the meeting.
The cabinet also approved the allocation of 395 square metres of land in Mumbai to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) on a 30-year lease for a nominal rent of Rs 1. The land will be used to develop parking facilities, an information centre, and other essential amenities.
