Mumbai: Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have cancelled their official special receptions to be held on the occasion of Independence Day considering the floods the State is reeling under.  

Governor Rao has cancelled the Independence Day reception scheduled to be held at Raj Bhavan in Pune on the evening of August 15. The Governor traditionally hosts the Independence Day reception, referred as ‘At Home’ reception where, freedom fighters, Padma awardees, eminent personalities from various walks of life, officers of the armed forces, police, civil services personnel and senior journalists are invited. However, the programme for this year has been cancelled.  

CM Fadnavis, too, has cancelled the dinner organised for foreign counsel generals on the eve on August 15 and the reception on the eve of Independence Day. 

Meanwhile, a delegation of Maharashtra Congress led by State unit President Balasaheb Thorat submitted a memorandum of demands to the chief minister demanding farm loan waiver and financial aid of Rs 60,000 per hectare.

Leader of Opposition Vijay Vadettiwar said that there is an estimated loss of over Rs 10,000 crore due to the floods, while the State has raised the demand worth Rs 6,000 crore. “The financial help from the Centre may reach the affected people very late and till then, the State’s aid should be increased,” he said.

A demand letter submitted by the Congress pointed out that despite the intensity of floods in various parts of the State, the Centre has not yet declared it as L3 disaster, which is the highest on the scale of intensity. “While floods hit western Maharashtra, districts like Beed, Osmanabad and Latur are facing a severe drought-like situation. We also demand to declare drought in these districts,” said Thorat.