Central team in MP tomorrow to assess crop damage by hailstorm

A central team will arrive here on a three-day visit from tomorrow to assess the extensive damage caused to crops due to unseasonal rains and hailstorm in Madhya Pradesh, official sources said today.
In view of the central team's visit from March 13-15, State Chief Secretary, Antony DeSa held discussions with all divisional commissioners and district collectors through video-conferencing facility and directed them to prepare a supplementary report in view of crop damage on account of the calamity, they said.
The Chief Secretary also directed to make available reports about crop losses since March 5 within three days.
He also directed divisional commissioners to accompany the Central team during its visit.

The Central team will hold discussions with state's senior officers on March 13 and with the Chief Secretary on March 15 after field visits.
Principal Secretary Revenue R K Chaturvedi informed during the video-conferencing that the Central team will visit the state in three groups, they added.

According to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, farmers in the state have suffered losses of Rs 13,000 crore due to crop damage in 26 lakh hectare area.
A total of 30,000 villages in MP have been affected because of rains and hailstorm causing damage to 20 lakh MT of wheat crop, 10 lakh MT of gram, three lakh MT of masoor (lentil) and 1.5 lakh MT of other crops.

The state government has already announced a slew of measures for the affected farmers, including the ones who suffered more than 50 per cent crop damages. They will be provided wheat and rice at Rs one per kg.