Pune: Funds set aside for highways, bridges and other infrastructure may be diverted to help farmers in the state if the drought situation calls for it, Maharashtra revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule said on Wednesday, adding that agriculture relief was now a priority for govt.Under “Trigger-1”, 265 talukas of the state have been declared drought-hit. Ground assessments are underway, but senior state officials said it’s possible the list of affected talukas may grow. “A final decision will be taken after proper evaluations and reports from collectors,” a senior official from the state relief and rehabilitation department said.Sources also said officials were re-examining the situation in 10-15 talukas that had originally not met the trigger-1 threshold. Ground reports and other assessment parameters in the talukas were being reviewed, the sources said.Bawankule added govt was looking to revive water bodies in the state for conservation, along the lines of the Jalyukt-Shivar scheme, and set up recharge shafts. “There are nearly 7,000 water bodies in every district. All of them must be strengthened,” he said.Bawankule is overseeing the cabinet sub-committee that will monitor drought relief and ensure accurate crop panchnamas are registered in the 265 talukas. Agriculture officers, talathis and gram sevaks will jointly conduct the panchnamas in the presence of farmers, with reports to be placed before gram sabhas for verification.Bawankule said the sub-committee has been empowered to make changes to the list of affected talukas if conditions worsen.
