Devendra Fadnavis government has come under heavy criticism from Congress on its recent order on providing financial aid to the flood-affected population.
Bhartiya Janta Party government in Maharashtra has laid out the norm that only those people will be eligible for financial and food help, whose houses have been drowned under water by flood for more than two days. This has created opposition parties to take a jibe at the Fadnavis government. State Congress president Balasaheb Thorat called the orders a “cruel joke”.
The Congress party lashed out at the state government for coming out with very insensitive criteria for assistance. On August 8, the state government issued a Government Resolution (GR) that read, “financial assistance will be provided if the area is inundated for over two days due to floods and if houses are completely washed away.”
The regulation goes on defining different criteria for urban and rural areas. Each family will be eligible for financial assistance of Rs. 7,500 for clothes and an equal amount for household items and utensils in urban areas. For rural areas, the assistance will be Rs.5,000 per family for clothes and an equal amount for household items and utensils.
Previously issued Government Resolution (GR) issued on August 7 said that 10 kg rice and 10 kg wheat will be given to each family if their habitable area remains submerged in floodwater for more than two days.
While Congress slammed the government for being oblivious to the hardships of common man, School Education Minister Ashish Shelar hit back at the Congress. He reminded the party of its own order dated January 30, 2014, in which the criteria for financial aid carried the threshold of over seven days submergence.
Five districts of Western Maharashtra which includes Sangli, Pune, Kolhapur, Solapur, and Satara are facing the wrath of flood the most. Among them, Sangli and Kolhapur are the worst affected areas. According to the latest estimates, over 2 lakh people have been rescued by the rescue operations teams deployed in the region.
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