Maharashtra govt clears Rs 49 crore disaster aid; Vidarbha gets Rs 15 crore for post-disaster relief
Nagpur: In a major step towards expediting post-disaster relief, the Maharashtra govt approved Rs 49 crore to support victims of house collapses and damages caused by natural disasters.
Of this, Vidarbha's Nagpur and Amravati divisions will receive Rs 10 crore and 5 crore respectively, enabling immediate assistance for house repairs and reconstruction.
The Government Resolution (GR) of May 30, issued under the revenue and forest department, aims to speed up financial relief in the aftermath of natural calamities — cutting down the long wait for victims that typically follows the Panchnama process.
The funds are allocated in accordance with the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms and will be disbursed via the BEAMS system.
Apart from Vidarbha, significant allocations have also been made to other regions: Rs 12 crore each to Pune and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar divisions, Rs 5 crore to Konkan division, and Rs 5 crore to Nashik division. This move brings significant relief to disaster-prone parts of Vidarbha, particularly rural pockets where homes are often ill-equipped to withstand floods.
Under the new mechanism, divisional commissioners will directly receive funds and are empowered to sanction aid without having to wait for centralised approval. This decentralisation is expected to improve efficiency and reduce bottlenecks. Funds will be tracked via the National Disaster Management Information System (NDMIS), ensuring transparency. Each division is required to update expenditure data monthly and submit utilisation certificates to the Accountant General and the state govt.
For Vidarbha, where monsoons trigger localised flooding and structural damage in low-income settlements, the approved funds will help rebuild damaged homes before the next seasonal wave hits. Sources in the department said preparations are nearly complete for the upcoming monsoon to enable rapid deployment of aid as soon as severe weather strikes. This urgency is heightened by the early onset of the monsoon this year.
Notably, Nagpur — which usually sees temperatures soaring above 45°C during this period — experienced heavy rains during Nautapa, an unusual shift that has put authorities on high alert. This decision was cleared following an informal agreement from the finance department dated May 30, 2025.
Division — Allotment
Nagpur — 10 Cr
Amravati — 5 Cr
Pune — 12 Cr
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — 12 Cr
Konkan — 5 Cr
Nashik — 5 Cr
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Deccan Herald
an hour ago
- Deccan Herald
Insolvency regime needs hard reform
The Supreme Court's recent annulment of JSW Steel's Rs 19,700-crore acquisition of Bhushan Power and Steel Ltd (BPSL) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) has reignited a deeper question about the balance between legal form and economic function. The Court's reasoning was sound: material deviations from the approved resolution plan were made without returning to the Committee of Creditors (CoC) or the NCLT for consent. Legally, the process mattered. But the implications of this decision go far beyond legality. They touch the foundations of India's financial case serves as a reminder that while India's insolvency regime has made significant progress, the broader financial infrastructure on which it relies remains incomplete. The JSW-BPSL outcome isn't a failure of law; it's a signal that the institutions surrounding it must evolve to support more complex economic resolution plan used a Special Purpose Vehicle, a standard acquisition structure, and financed part of the deal through Optionally Convertible Debentures, an established instrument globally. Yet, under Indian insolvency procedure, such post-approval changes must receive renewed creditor and tribunal consent. The absence of that step rendered the plan invalid, despite repayment having message isn't one of malfeasance or manipulation, but of a system that hasn't yet adapted to the evolving needs of modern restructuring. JSW acted within widely accepted financial logic but discovered that process constraints flexibility. The broader lesson is that strategic capital may hesitate to engage with distressed assets unless resolution mechanisms allow for well-regulated innovation. That holds consequences not only for bidders but also lenders, employees, and the JSW case reveals the need for deeper institutional capacity in insolvency governance. The CoC, composed mainly of banks, brings financial skin in the game, but often lacks the commercial restructuring expertise to evaluate unconventional plans. Meanwhile, the NCLT, pivotal to resolution, continues to face resource to advanced economies, where restructuring decisions are shaped by capital market actors, specialist advisers, and commercial courts, India's process leans heavily on legal formalism. India must bring in independent expertise and strengthen the interplay between legal and financial perspectives to enable effective resolution. Encouragingly, these gaps are not insurmountable; they are reform out, this episode reflects a broader challenge in India's financial evolution. The post-liberalisation decision to convert Development Finance Institutions into commercial banks was bold, but it assumed the rise of a vibrant corporate bond market. That market remains most long-term credit still flows through banks and NBFCs, intermediaries not designed to handle complex risk-pricing over time. Corporate bond issuances are often private, illiquid, and difficult to trade. The result is that bankruptcy resolution ends up doing work that well-functioning capital markets would normally share: absorbing risk, repricing assets, and enabling JSW case demonstrates that even when operations resume and creditors are paid, a procedural lapse can unwind a resolution. For capital to engage sustainably, investors need assurance not just of legality, but of must solution is not to weaken the IBC but to fortify it with institutional and market reforms. A regulated, liquid secondary market for distressed debt would allow for dynamic pricing, risk-sharing, and investor entry without the delays of judicial vital is enhancing the capability of the NCLT. Resolution decisions with major economic impact should benefit from commercial expertise and capital market insight. The process must evolve beyond a legal tribunal into a financially informed once a resolution plan is approved and executed in good faith, it should enjoy legal stability, subject to apparent exceptions like fraud. This would strengthen investor trust. And as India continues its financial modernisation, it's worth reconsidering the current ban on leveraged buyouts, which are globally standard tools that, if properly regulated, can enable efficient asset thoughtful financial structuring should be seen not as a risk, but as a route to economic recovery. Mergers and acquisitions during insolvency are not loopholes but part of the JSW-BPSL episode is not a story of legal overreach or corporate miscalculation; it is a moment of reckoning for how far India's financial ecosystem has come and how much farther it needs to go. It calls for the next chapter of reform: one that builds out institutional capacity, deepens capital markets, and ensures that law and finance move in step, not in conflict. India has made bold strides in building an insolvency regime. With the right reforms, the regime can now deliver not just resolution but real renewal..(The writer teaches finance at IIT Kharagpur)
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Bringing all-weather connectivity to Kashmir, PM Modi to flag off specially made Vande Bharat trains between Katra, Srinagar
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on Friday set to flag off two specially designed Vande Bharat trains between Katra town and Srinagar city in Jammu and Kashmir, cutting down travel time between the two places by two-three hours and ensuring all-weather surface connectivity with the Kashmir Valley. The trains will pass over the world's highest rail bridge over the Chenab river, and the country's first cable-stayed bridge at Anji Khad, as well as the long tunnel between Khari and Sumber. Acting as functional links connecting lives, livelihoods and landscapes, the completely electrified 272-km railway line, passing through 36 tunnels and 943 bridges in the rugged Himalayas, opens new avenues of growth, trade and tourism. Prime Minister Modi described June 6, the day the trains will be flagged off, as 'a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir'. He also said infrastructure projects worth Rs 46,000 crore will also be inaugurated. 'The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project ensures all weather connectivity and the Vande Bharat trains from Katra to Srinagar will boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities,' he said. The USBRL is one of the most ambitious railway projects undertaken in independent India. Stretching 272 kilometres through the rugged Himalayas, the project has been built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore. It includes 36 tunnels that span 119 kilometres and 943 bridges that knit together valleys, ridges and mountain passes. Designed to overcome the region's challenging geography, it connects remote areas to the national rail network and marks a new chapter in mobility, trade and tourism for Jammu and Kashmir. To maximise the impact of this connectivity, the Vande Bharat Express is being introduced between Jammu and Srinagar. Unlike other trains of their kind, these are tailored for the harsh Himalayan winters. They are designed to run smoothly even in temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees Celsius. Heated windshields, advanced heating systems and insulated toilets ensure that the train remains operational and comfortable throughout the year. Supporting this route is a snow removal train that moves ahead to clear the tracks, ensuring year-round services. Seismic dampers have also been installed to absorb tremors, offering a safer and smoother journey.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Cabinet nod to clear 2 DAs
Hyderabad: The state Cabinet has on Thursday approved the long-pending demands of the government employees which included the release of two instalments of dearness allowance (DA) this year. It also decided to expedite the construction of rural roads under HAM (hybrid annuity model) and the expansion of the Metro Rail in the greater Hyderabad limits. During the six-hour-long Cabinet meeting, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and his Cabinet colleagues discussed extensively the employees' demands and took a slew of decisions. Briefing the media after the meeting, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said the government would release one DA amount immediately to the government staff and another one would be released after six months due to financial constraints. The demand for the creation of a trust to provide medical care to all the employees with equal contribution of insurance amount by the employees and the government was accepted. The Chief Secretary will be the chairman of the healthcare trust. The Cabinet also decided to pay the pending bills, including the benefit to the retired employees. As much as Rs 700 crore will be spent on the release of pending bills every month. Ban on recruitment of retired employees on a contract basis, fast clearance of the compassionate appointments, grading the posts of the Panchayat secretaries, establishment of nursing directorate, Rs 2 lakh retirement benefits to the Anganwadi workers and clearing all pending hired vehicle bills were among other decisions that were taken in the Cabinet meeting. To improve the connectivity for public transportation, Information and Public Relations Minister P Srinivasa Reddy said that the Cabinet approved new metro line corridors mainly- Shamshabad to Future City (39 km), Jubilee Bus Station- Medchal (25 Km) and Jubilee Bus Station to Shamirpet (22 km). The estimated cost of the new metro line networks for 86 km was Rs 19,579 crore and it would be taken up jointly by the state and Union governments, the minister said, adding that the BJP MPs and Union ministers should also pursue the issue with the Centre and get approvals without any delay. The Cabinet ratified the development of R & B roads and Panchayat Raj roads under the HAM model. The R & B will develop a 5,100 km road network and the Panchayat Raj will improve the road network on a 7,900-km stretch. All the proposed road development projects will be completed in two years and the agency, which will take up the roads, will be entrusted with the responsibility of maintenance of the roads for 15 years. The Earth Science University in Kothagudem district would be named after former prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the minister said, adding that the Cabinet decided to pay an insurance amount of Rs 10 lakh to the members of self-help groups in case of deaths.
