People hit by recent rains and floods in Maharashtra to get aid in four days: Official

Mumbai, Sep 30 (PTI) The Maharashtra government will ensure that financial assistance is transferred into the bank accounts of farmers and citizens affected by the recent spell of heavy rains and floods in the next three to four days, a senior official said on Tuesday.

Rains and floods have left crops spread over nearly 60 lakh hectares across the state damaged, the official said.

Torrential rains and floods last week have damaged crops on lakhs of acres of land in large parts of the state, including eight districts of the Marathwada region, Solapur, Satara, and Sangli in western Maharashtra.

Principal Secretary of the Relief and Rehabilitation Department Vinita Singhal said, "The department is focused on ensuring that compensation is transferred into the bank accounts of the affected people within the next three to four days." The process had been expedited as per Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' instructions to provide timely financial relief to those impacted by the floods and heavy rains, she said.

Earlier in the day, CM Fadnavis said rains and floods have damaged 60 lakh hectares of land in the state as per the initial estimate, and the government has decided to extend all benefits and measures usually provided during drought to the affected people.

He assured farmers that they will get the relief compensation in their bank accounts before Diwali (which will be celebrated on Oct 20). PTI ND NP