Mumbai: After facing severe criticism about its order of depositing financial aid to the flood-hit people in their bank accounts, the state government has succumbed to the opposition pressure and amended its own decision. The state has decided to pay Rs5,000 in cash to each flood-affected family.
The state had earlier announced to deposit in their bank accounts a sum of Rs10,000 for each flood-affected family in rural areas and Rs15,000 per family in urban areas.
The decision was criticised heavily by Opposition parties and common man alike on the social media. “When there is no bank in the village or it is closed due to flood, how common man will go there to get the money?” was the question the parties asked. This finally put the state government on the mat.
CM Devendra Fadnavis ordered the change in the review meeting held at the State Disaster Management Cell in Mantralaya. “Each flood-affected family will get Rs5,000 in cash and the rest amount will be deposited in their bank accounts,” the press statement issued by the state government stated.
The meeting was attended by all key bureaucrats. He also directed to prepare a plan to build a well equipped airport at Kawalapur in Sangli. He asked the administration to propose building flyovers in areas on highways, where waterlogging takes place.
RUSSIA TOUR CANCELLED
After much-criticism over his mass outreach programme, Mahajanadesh Yatra, during the floods, CM Fadnavis cancelled his Russia tour beginning August 12 due to the flood situation in the state.
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will represent Maharashtra in absence of the Chief Minister, a state government official said.
Goyal is leading a delegation of chief ministers, including those of Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat, and business representatives to Vladivostok in Russia to explore investment opportunities and strike partnerships with the Far East provinces.
4.48 LAKH EVACUATED
The state government has claimed that it has shifted 4.48 lakh flood-affected people to safer places. Total 32 people and 48 cattle have died in the flood.
“The state government has evacuated 4.48 lakh flood-hit people in the state’s 10 districts and shifted them to safer places. They are 2.45 lakh people from Kolhapur and 1.59 lakh from Sangli district. 372 temporary shelter homes have been started for them.
Along with 32 teams of the National and the State Disaster Response Force, a total of 105 rescue teams are working in the flood-hit areas. Of these, 54 are deputed in Kolhapur and 51 in Sangli.
Additionally, rescue teams are also working in Pune, Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Sindhudurg, Nashik, Dhule and Nagpur,” said the State Disaster Management Cell in a press statement.
Total 761 villages in 70 tehsils are affected by flood in 10 districts, including Kolhapur and Sangli. The water level in Kolhapur has receded by1.11 feet and in Sangli by 3 feet.
