Overview

• Uddhav Thackeray and other opposition leaders produced an October 16, 2020 letter in which Devendra Fadnavis, then Leader of the Opposition, urged a ‘wet drought’ declaration.
• Fadnavis now says ‘wet drought’ is not an official category, though the state will extend drought-relief norms and other natural calamity benefits to affected farmers.
• The state reports initial damage across roughly 60 lakh hectares and says surveys and panchanamas are underway to complete loss assessments.
• Officials say Rs 2,215 crore has been paid for July–August crop losses, with a final package to be cleared at the next cabinet meeting to enable payouts before Diwali.
• Opposition parties demand Rs 50,000 per hectare and a full farm loan waiver, alleging slow relief, no central inspection visit yet, and political favoritism toward Bihar.