It's drought, even if it rains in Baramati or Yeola

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government���s list of drought-affected talukas is now a curious mix of rain-starved, arid regions and evidently rain-fed and refreshingly green looking areas.

With the bounties entailing the drought-hit tag a crucial factor in an election year, political heavyweights have forced the government to declare even some adequately rain-fed areas as drought-affected on Tuesday.

Once categorised as affected, the region gets a freeze on loan recovery, concessional rates for electricity and a waiver of property tax, among other sops. ET had reported on Tuesday how the state government was coming under pressure to list more and more talukas as drought hit.

Among the additions to the ���hit��� list on Tuesday was Baramati, one of the few regions in the state to have received close-to-normal rainfall this season.

But Baramati is a fiefdom of Sharad Pawar and his family. Until daughter Supriya Sule replaced him in the recent Lok Sabha elections, Sharad Pawar represented Baramati in Parliament. Mr Pawar���s nephew Ajit is the Baramati MLA and the state irrigation minister.

Also in the list is Indapur, which neighbours Baramati. It is represented by state agro-marketing minister Hasrhavardhan Patil. Indapur too had received near normal rains.

Another surprise in the list is Tasgaon, from the agro-rich Sangli district in western Maharashtra. It is represented by state NCP chief RR Patil. Tasgaon falls in the state���s sugar-bowl and is also known for its wine-quality grapes.
Maharashtra revenue minister Patangrao Kadam represents Palus, one of the few well water-fed regions in the state.

However, according to the Maharashtra government, Palus, which has large sugarcane plantations, is drought-hit. Two more constituencies from western Maharashtra, Phaltan, represented by water resource minister Ramraje Nimbalkar, and Malshiras, which has sent sugar baron Vijaysinh Mohite Patil to the state assembly, too have been included the list of drought-affected regions.

Also in the list is Yeola in Nashik district, one of the few talukas in north Maharashtra to have received considerable rains. But thanks to deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal, who hails from the region, Yeola will also receive government sops meant for drought relief.

Chief minister Ashok Chavan���s constituency Nanded is also there in the list. However, it falls in the drought-hit region of Marathwada. Pen on the Konkan coast was the most surprising addition to the drought-affected list. Though it falls in an area which witnessed heavy floods recently, it had a strong ambassador in state minister Ravisheth Patil.

With this the total number of talukas declared drought has gone up to 159, out of a total of 350. A week back the number was 129, then it went up to 151 and now to 159. The state cabinet has convened a meeting on Thursday to add a few more talukas to the list. ���So we will have more politically-blessed talukas in the list,��� an official associated with the exercise said.