Shinde meets PM Modi over Maharashtra drought, says Centre assures support for farmers
The hour-long meeting focused on the situation facing farmers, including water availability, agricultural conditions and the availability of fodder for livestock
On October 5, 2026, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi to address the drought crisis impacting the state. During the one-hour meeting, Mr. Shinde highlighted concerns over water availability, agricultural conditions, and fodder supply for livestock. PM Modi assured the Deputy Chief Minister that the Centre would provide necessary assistance to farmers affected by the crisis.
Shinde expressed confidence that Maharashtra would receive substantial support from the Centre, considering the severity of the situation. He stated that farmers' Diwali would not be affected by the drought crisis, and the State government would remain committed to supporting farmers during the challenging period.
Under the financial assistance scheme jointly provided by the Centre and the Maharashtra government, farmers currently receive ₹12,000 annually. This includes ₹6,000 from the Centre's farmer assistance scheme and ₹6,000 through the State's Namo Shetkari Mahasanman Nidhi Yojana. Shinde emphasized that the government would not hesitate to extend support when the agricultural community faced distress, citing assistance provided after heavy rains last year.
The Deputy Chief Minister also criticized the Opposition for focusing on marches, protests, and allegations against PM Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, rather than addressing substantive issues affecting the public. Shinde spoke about the upcoming Legislative Council elections, mentioning that the Mahayuti coordination committee had discussed Mangesh Chivte’s candidature from the Pune Teachers' Constituency.
He confirmed that his party had submitted the AB Form to Mr. Chivte, who would file his nomination the following day (October 6, 2026).
Regarding a potential Cabinet expansion, Shinde stated that the decision would be left to Prime Minister Modi, as the principal leader of the National Democratic Alliance, at the appropriate time.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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