Shopkeepers, businessmen and traders in Pune, Satara, Kolhapur,Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg district that were affected by devastating floods can look forward to some financial help from district cooperative banks that will provide low-interest loans to them.
 
This was decided at a meeting on central co-operative banks of Satara, Sangli, Kolhapur, Raigad, Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, held under the chairmanship of deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Wednesday. Rural Development Minister Hasan Mushrif, co-operative minister, Balasaheb Patil, minister of state for co-operation, Vishwajeet Kadam, bureaucrats and officials were present at the meeting.   

With social commitment to help traders, shopkeepers and businessmen affected by floods, district cooperative banks will provide loans at low interest rates of 5%-6%. This rate of interest is only slightly higher than the cost of raising capital on a non-profit basis.
 
The state had earlier also announced financial relief of Rs 50,000 each to such eligible beneficiaries affected by floods.    
 
In another meeting held on Wednesday, minister of state for food and civil supplies Vishwajeet Kadam called for transparency in food distribution system through modern technology.
 
Taking serious note of reports of black marketing of grain cereals by transport contractors in Jalgaon and Nanded districts in 2018, Kadam has asked local officials to check if complete distribution of food grains in Jalgaon district has been done through POS machines and directed them to submit a report in three months.

He has asked them to look into the following aspects: * Are the transporters in Jalgaon district using the records in the E-1 register of goods reaching the warehouses? * If entries of these records at various toll plazas using the GPS system are as per the transporter rules? * Report of the concerned transport officer on whether the vehicles of the contractor are meeting the norms of the government and whether the vehicles for distribution of food grains have been affixed with green colour, PDS boards as per the rules?
 
Kadam said that GPS will be installed on food transport vehicles in the district as per the instructions of the government. He instructed strict action for non-installation of the system as well as cases of misappropriation of goods.
 
Over the next three months, GPS will be installed on all relevant transport systems. The minister directed to submit a report to the government after investigating malpractices and as well as the irregularities.