Mumbai, Oct. 12 -- The 11-member inter-ministerial team comprising central government officials, which toured drought-affected areas in Maharashtra last week, was convinced about the severity of the situation and the plight facing farmers this year, officials familiar with the matter told Hindustan Times. The team has assured Maharashtra of maximum possible financial assistance from the central government, and the state government will soon submit a fresh proposal seeking drought relief at rates higher than existing norms under the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), the officials said. On Sunday, chief minister Devendra Fadnavis met the central team, led by joint secretary Muktanand Agrawal, at his official residence, Varsha, in Mumbai. Highlighting the unprecedented nature of the drought, he said that both kharif and rabi crops had suffered extensive damage, leaving farmers with little scope to recover their losses through summer cultivation. "Small farmers who depend on agricultural labour for their livelihood are facing serious economic hardship. Assistance will therefore be planned through employment generation and food security schemes," Fadnavis said. As reported by HT earlier, on October 7, Fadnavis had met union home minister Amit Shah and submitted an interim proposal seeking a Rs.17,500-crore drought relief package. Officials said the proposal covered only two components -Rs.13,000 crore towards crop losses and Rs.4,500 crore for fodder management. "The remaining six components, including drinking water supply and the employment guarantee scheme, will be incorporated into the final proposal once field assessment is completed. The overall demand could increase substantially," an official from Mantralaya said. Till now, crop loss assessments have been completed in 75% of the 32,927 villages identified as drought-affected across 265 talukas in the state. According to state government figures, crops over 14.93 million hectares have been damaged due to water stress, affecting 14.1 million farmers. According to state government officials, the central team toured villages in eight districts across three administrative divisions. Divided into three groups, they inspected farms and water sources, interacted with farmers and also visited additional villages beyond the itinerary arranged by the state government. "The team was convinced that the situation is challenging this year and that the state government's demand for higher assistance is justified," a senior official said. "The team has assured the state that its request for higher financial assistance would be considered on the basis of the detailed memorandum and supporting data." As per NDRF norms introduced in 2023, compensation for crop loss ranges Rs.7,500-22,000 per hectare, depending on crop category and applicable provisions. The state government would press for higher compensation to provide adequate relief to affected farmers, officials said. During his meeting with the central team, Fadnavis spoke about targeted relief measures being planned to address agriculture and rural livelihoods. Drinking water scarcity and fodder availability for livestock were among the biggest challenges confronting Maharashtra, Fadnavis said, as existing fodder stock would last only 90-120 days. The chief minister said that the state government has prioritised drinking water supply, particularly in villages where water sources have dried up. Tanker operations would be monitored via technology to ensure transparent and timely distribution of water, Fadnavis said. The state government will also undertake desilting, repairs and rejuvenation of water storage structures under central and state schemes, and software and mobile applications will be used to ensure transparency in implementation of water conservation projects, the chief minister said State government officials said that while crop loss assessment has been completed in 75% affected villages, evaluation of other components is progressing on a war footing. "Crop damage surveys are expected to be completed in the next couple of days. The government has cancelled all leaves of employees involved in drought-related work. We expect to submit the revised memorandum to the centre at the earliest," a state government official said. The revised memorandum is expected to consolidate the findings of ongoing assessments and detail the state's requirements across all relief components, strengthening its case for additional financial assistance from the central government to tide over the crisis....