Good news for Farmer’s. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced an advance drought relief amount of Rs 5,000 per farmer for approximately 15 million farmers in Maharashtra, with a total allocation of Rs 7,500 crore. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting amid drought-like conditions in parts of the state. Fadnavis directed officials to ensure that banks do not make any deductions from the relief amount, stressing that farmers should receive the full assistance. He directed that clear orders be issued to banks to ensure that there are no deductions in the disbursement of advance drought relief funds.
Rs 5000 Announced for Farmer’s
Fadnavis highlighted that farmers with smaller land parcels previously got around Rs 1,000, but now all qualifying farmers will get a minimum of Rs 5,000, with additional payments coming later. Meanwhile, Karnataka, despite battling severe drought conditions, has only distributed Rs 2,500. When addressing opposition pushback, Fadnavis mentioned that critics complained when we offered Rs 1,500 to women through the “Ladki Behen” initiative. However, women recognize what Rs 1,500 means to them, just like our farmers appreciate what Rs 5,000 represents.
He added that wealthy politicians living in grand homes, driving luxury vehicles, and managing multiple businesses simply cannot grasp the significance of Rs 5,000. Earlier, Fadnavis revealed that the state had identified drought conditions across 305 talukas, an increase from the previous count of 265. Speaking at a Mumbai press conference, he explained that to support farmers dealing with crop damage and financial strain from the drought, the administration had ramped up relief initiatives this year in comparison to earlier years.
The drought situation in Maharashtra is severe. The state government initially declared 265 talukas drought-affected in September 2026. In October, 40 more were added, bringing the total to 305, representing approximately 85 percent of the state’s 358 talukas. These talukas are primarily spread across districts like Marathwada, Vidarbha, Nashik, Solapur, Latur, Beed, Buldhana, Amravati, Yavatmal, Nagpur, and Chandrapur. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar division is the worst affected. As relief, the government has announced an advance of Rs 5,000 in bank accounts for farmers in drought-affected areas before Diwali.
Additionally, 12 measures have been implemented, including land revenue waivers, crop loan restructuring, a moratorium on agricultural loan recovery, concessions on electricity bills for agricultural pumps, waiver of student examination fees, and provision of water tankers and fodder. Full compensation will be determined after assessing crop losses.