Mumbai, March 17 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the government is committed to supporting affected mango and cashew farmers from the Konkan region, adding that a relief package will be announced in the House before the end of the ongoing budget session of the legislature.
At a meeting held at Vidhan Bhavan, the Chief Minister said mango and cashew nuts are the identity of the Konkan region. Due to the shedding of blossoms (mohal), these vital fruit crops have suffered significant damage.
He noted that current data highlights the intensity of the crop loss.
He said the government would study previous relief models and consult Deputy Chief Ministers, the Agriculture Minister and Konkan’s public representatives to finalise the aid.
Vikas Chandra Rastogi, Additional Chief Secretary (Agriculture), presented a detailed report on the extent of the damage.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Dattatray Bharne on Tuesday directed concerned agencies to work in coordination and provide training, technical guidance and necessary facilities to beneficiaries, especially from the Dhangar community, under the Semi‑Stall Fed Sheep Rearing Project of the ‘Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjivani (PoCRA)’ scheme.
During the meeting, various measures were discussed to ensure the effective implementation of the project.
These included formation of shepherd groups or Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs), setting up an effective marketing system to prevent fraud in sheep sales, providing healthcare facilities and insurance coverage, establishing Common Facility Centres for processing in each district and handing them over to shepherd groups to operate, and formulating proposals to make Forest Department land or other government fallow lands available for grazing in a planned manner.
Earlier today, the Maharashtra government passed a Bill in the Legislative Assembly to repeal 80 obsolete acts and laws, marking a significant step towards strengthening good governance and streamlining administrative processes.
The Maharashtra Repealing Bill, 2026 (Assembly Bill No. 17), aimed at repealing outdated Acts in the state, was introduced by Minister of General Administration Ashish Shelar.
After a detailed discussion, the Bill was passed by the House.
Presenting the government’s stance, Minister Shelar said that, due to constitutional changes, state reorganisation, and the enactment of new laws, several Acts in Maharashtra had become obsolete.
He said retaining references to such outdated laws was creating ambiguity in governance.
--IANS
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