The Maharashtra Cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Tuesday, decided to directly deposit Rs 5,000 into the bank accounts of each of the 1.5 crore farmers across 304 drought-affected talukas before Diwali. The advance will be distributed across the board to all farmers who have suffered crop losses exceeding 33 per cent.

In a move to mitigate severe agricultural distress across Maharashtra, CM Fadnavis, after the weekly cabinet meeting held on October 13, had announced that each affected farmer will receive Rs 5,000 directly into their bank accounts as advance aid prior to Diwali.

The government has finalised a list of 3.5 lakh farmers for the loan waiver scheme, with processing underway. In the Tuesday cabinet meeting, a formal approval was given to provide an advance of Rs 5,000 to drought-hit farmers before Diwali. This is part of the government’s proposed relief package, which will be announced after the assessment of the damage caused by the drought in 304 talukas.

According to the government sources, groundwater levels in Marathwada have plummeted by over three metres. Adequate water tankers will be deployed, equipped with GPS tracking to prevent mismanagement. Over 16,000 illegal water connections have already been disconnected. The government has already issued strict instructions to banks and microfinance institutions against forcefully collecting loan repayments or electricity bills. The government will directly purchase fodder and encourage fodder-crop cultivation among farmers to maintain livestock.

CM Fadnavis highlighted that historically, drought declarations and subsequent relief measures were pushed to November and December. However, recognising the severity of the current crisis, the state government accelerated administrative protocols to issue notifications in October itself. “We are well aware that this Diwali brings severe hardship for our farmers. Central government relief protocols involve procedures and timelines that cannot be finalised before Diwali. Understanding this urgency, the state cabinet decided to step in immediately, using state resources. The Rs 5,000 advance transfer will ensure our farmers have immediate liquidity in hand during the festive season,” he stated.

The Cabinet approved revisions to the Maharashtra Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Policy to streamline project screening, in-principle approvals, Request for Proposals (RFP), transaction structuring, tendering, and bidding stages.

Further, the state cabinet gave approval to extend the Matoshri Gramsamriddhi Sheti-Panand Road Scheme, which will continue through coordination with various programmes, including the Viksit Bharat – Gramin Road Initiative. The state-level scheme has been granted recognition as a district-level scheme, enabling funding through the District Planning Committee (DPC). A state-level committee has been authorised to resolve operational and field-level challenges for smooth execution.

The Cabinet approved allocating 1 per cent of the District Annual Plan (General) specifically for the welfare, rehabilitation, and empowerment of persons with disabilities across the state.

The Cabinet approved a revised administrative structure comprising 39,722 posts across five corporations and regional offices, along with office restructuring. The Cabinet gave clearance for the development of a national-level exhibition centre on the lines of New Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam at Lohegaon, Pune. The modification of the reservation status for the playground plot in the Pune Municipal Corporation’s approved Development Plan at Lohegaon will facilitate rapid construction.

Further, the Cabinet approved Rs 66.82 crore for Bajaj Auto Limited under the Maharashtra Electric Vehicle Promotion Policy to boost local EV manufacturing. The Cabinet cleared the resumption of direct flights connecting Navi Mumbai – Chipi (Sindhudurg) and Chipi (Sindhudurg) – Navi Mumbai. It also approved 100 per cent Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to airline operators to revitalise air connectivity for the region.

The Cabinet approved the transfer of 289 hectares and 69 ares of land at Raver village to the Regional Officer, Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC), Dhule, for industrial estate expansion.

West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Sunday chaired a high-level meeting at Bhabani Bhawan and announced that he will visit families of those killed in the Durga Puja pandal stampede to hand over compensation cheques on October 20 and 21.

He also informed that personnel from the Kolkata Police, Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), State Fire Services Department have been kept out of the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe their role in the stampede. According to him, one out of 19 dead was from Bihar.

“One of the 19 deceased is from Bihar. The process of handing over the bodies has begun. Two of the injured admitted to the ICU have suffered bone fractures, while the remaining 23 are fit for discharge. I will visit the family of every deceased person within two days and personally hand over the compensation cheque,” said CM Adhikari.

He continued, “After an incident like this, the necessary precautions should be taken. This is a large state with a population of 10.5 to 11 crore, and everyone is celebrating the puja festival. We must ensure the safety of others. The lapses have been reviewed. Of the 19 people who died, 18 were residents of West Bengal. For every deceased person, a team comprising a civil administration official, a police administration official and the local MLA will stay with the family until the cremation.”

On the arrangements at the puja pandal, CM Adhikari said, “These are people (civic volunteers) recruited in 2024-25. They (the administration) hire people every year, and this time they were taken from the old list. No new person was brought in. We have asked for the list, and it should be scrutinised. It would not be right to blame them without examining the facts. It started raining, and the rope was released. There were no proper two-lane arrangements there. A temporary passage had been created using ropes, forming a chain. That chain broke, and everyone got mixed up.”

Elaborating on the steps that have been taken so far following the incident, CM Adhikari said, “Seven individuals have been arrested and are currently in police custody under the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The Governor visited the hospital, as did the Union Home Minister. I am personally monitoring the situation with the assistance of the Chief Secretary, the Commissioner of Police, the Home Secretary, the Director General of Police (DGP), and others. The entire government is actively engaged. We are not celebrating the holiday, nor are we posting anything on social media. We are not making statements to the press assigning blame to others.”

The Chief Minister further said, “An SIT (Special Investigation Team) is also being formed, which will operate under the leadership of a sitting judge. The Chief Secretary will write to the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. If permission is granted, we will constitute the SIT as soon as possible.”

CM Adhikari added that on October 26, during the Bijaya Sammilani event, the government will pay tribute to the 19 people who lost their lives and cheques of Rs 5 lakh each will also be handed over to the families of the 25 injured people at the same event.

The police on Sunday arrested seven people, including organisers, in connection with the stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja Pandal in Kolkata, which claimed 19 lives.

A large number of devotees were injured following a stampede at the Chorebagan Sarbojanin Durga Puja pandal in north Kolkata as an excessive crowd flocked into the pandal arena to catch a glimpse of the idols. Chaos erupted at the Puja pandal after a portion of the exit gate structure collapsed. The injured were immediately rushed to Calcutta Medical College and Hospital and two other state hospitals. About 17 people were declared brought dead at Calcutta Medical College and Hospital, while 25 injured were admitted for treatment. The death toll reached 19 on Sunday.

Singrauli, Oct 17: Mild earthquake tremors were felt in the Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials said.

According to preliminary data, the intensity of the earthquake was measured at 3.5 on the Richter scale.

The epicentre was located at a depth of around 10 km below the surface, officials added.

The tremor was recorded on Saturday at 2:12 p.m.

Officials monitoring seismic activity confirmed that the quake had an intensity of 3.5, with the focus situated around 10 km beneath the earth’s surface.

The information is based on initial readings and remains subject to further verification by scientific agencies.

Residents in parts of Singrauli reported feeling the mild shaking during the afternoon hours.

While the intensity was relatively low, the sudden tremor caused momentary concern among people in the affected areas.

No immediate reports of damage to buildings or injuries have been received so far.

Earthquake monitoring agencies are examining the preliminary data to determine the exact location of the epicentre and assess any aftershock possibilities.

A magnitude of 3.5 is generally classified as a light earthquake, which is often felt by people nearby but rarely causes significant structural damage, especially when the focus is at a moderate depth of around 10 km.

Authorities in Singrauli have advised the public to remain calm and follow standard safety guidelines in case of any further seismic activity.

Local administration is closely tracking the situation and is in coordination with relevant scientific bodies for updated information.

This is not the first time the region has experienced mild seismic activity, though such events of low intensity usually pass without major incident.

Experts note that earthquakes of this magnitude are relatively common in various parts of the country and typically do not pose a serious threat when the depth is around 10 km.

Further details are awaited as agencies continue to analyse the complete data set.