Relief of Rs 25,000 per hectre to flood affected farmers: BJP

Akola, Aug 8 (UNI) Senior BJP functionary and leader of the opposition in the Maharashtra state legislative council, Pandurang Fundkar demanded state financial assistance of Rs 25,000 per hectre to the flood affected farmers, in the wake of the colossal damage caused by incessant rains in the state.

Briefing the media last evening here, Mr Fundkar said as per preliminary estimates crops on 40,000 hectares of agricultural land in both Akola and Buldana districts in western Vidarbha region were totally destroyed.

He lamented that the disaster management machinary of the state government has totally collapsed and was not equipped to meet the challenges of the deluge. Moreover it is not even willing, he alleged.

Earlier, accompanied by local BJP MPs Sanjay Dhotre, Gowardhan Sharma and some other BJP leaders Mr Fundkar visited the flood affected areas of the city and consoled the families who had lost their near and dear ones.

The commissioner of the Akola municipal corporation (AMC), Chandrashekhar Rokde served notices to owners of 85 old buildings for demolition, yesterday.

The work of demolishing the adjacent buildings near the ill fated building which took 6 lives was already on as per the AMC's order, official sources said.

As per a rough estimate, damages to crops, buildings, in western Vidarbha region comprising of three districts, Akola, Buldana and Washim amount to over Rs 100 crores, sources added.

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