Modi assures Maharashtra farmers of assistance during drought
The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 in Pune on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday promised all possible help to farmers in Maharashtra facing drought, stating the Union government is standing firmly with them. According to the Hindustan Times, the Prime Minister made these remarks after virtually inaugurating the 23.2-km elevated Hinjewadi-Shivajinagar Metro Line 3 in Pune.
Modi noted that the state government has issued an early payment of ₹5,000 to qualifying farmers in drought-hit regions while crop-loss assessments are being finished. He added that the central government has also deposited PM-Kisan funds and urged citizens to support farmers during the festival season.
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation for Pune Metro Phase II, which includes four proposed corridors with an estimated cost of around ₹13,500 crore. The newly inaugurated Pink Line, built at an estimated cost of ₹8,313 crore, will begin passenger services at 6am on November 4.
In a separate development, the 'Bappa Charni Ek Vahi Ek Pen Arpan' initiative in Pune has collected 36,000 notebooks and over 20,000 pens for schools in drought-prone areas. Urban Acres reported that the campaign, run by Navgrah Mitra Mandal, is distributing supplies to districts including Beed, Dhule, Chandrapur and Wardha.
Organiser Aniket Mundada said families facing drought must prioritise essential household needs over stationery. By October 28, materials had reached 12 schools in Vidarbha and two each in Dhule and Beed, with 40 more schools expected to receive supplies soon.