Maharashtra spent Rs 4.9 k cr on drought relief in 2018-19: Economic

Mumbai: The Maharashtra government made available Rs 4909.50 crore for drought relief in 2018-19, the state Economic Survey revealed Monday, adding that the total affected area was 85.76 lakh hectare spread over 151 talukas.

It said the scarcity situation during the Kharif season of the just-ended fiscal affected 151 talukas in 26 district, comprising 112 talukas which reeled under severe drought and 39 talukas that experienced moderate drought.

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Further it informed that, during April 2018, some 5094 hectare were affected by untimely rain and hailstorm, for which compensation to the tune of Rs 8.15 crore was sanctioned in December.

In May last year, 1,741 hectare were affected by rain and hailstorm for which Rs 2.93 crore was sanctioned in December.

The survey stated that annual budget for agriculture and allied activities sectors in 2018-19 in the annual credit plan was Rs 85,464 crore.

On the agriculture credit front, it said, during 2017 -18, primary credit societies disbursed loans of Rs 14,573 crore to farmers.

As on March 31, 2018, there were about 1.98 lakh co- operative societies with 5.17 crore members.

Of these, 11 per cent were in agriculture credit, 10 per cent in non-agriculture credit and 79 per cent engaged in other activities, it said.

In all, 18.1 per cent cooperative societies were in the red, 33.1 per cent of these engaged in agriculture credit.

During 2018-19, crop loan of Rs 31,282 crore was disbursed through financial institutions as against Rs 25,322 crore during 2017-18.

During 2018-19, agriculture term loans amounting to Rs 36,632 crore was disbursed as against Rs 25,695 crore in 2017 -18.

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On other fronts, the total consumption of electricity during 2018-19, upto September, was 45,174 million units out of the total generation of 1,14,199 million units.

The Maharashtra Samruddhi Mahamarg, a proposed 701 kilometres long, 120 metres wide, 8-lane expressway connecting Mumbai to Nagpur, estimated to cost Rs 55,335.32 crore, has seen land acquisition of 86 per cent, it said.

Of the 9599.99 hectare required, the area acquired stands at 8259.87 hectare as of January this year.

The economic survey stated that Rs 80,013 crore of foreign direct investment (FDI) came into Maharashtra in 2018 -19.

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(PTI)