Central team visits UP to assess crop damage

A high-level central team headed by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari arrived in Uttar Pradesh today to visit certain parts of the state where farmers have suffered massive crop loss because of untimely rain and hailstrom.
The team, whose other members included Union Minister of State Ram Kripal Yadav, will visit Agra, Aligarh, and Meerut to take first hand information of the plight of farmers.
"The central team will survey the losses incurred by farmers due to untimely rain so that help could be provided to them at the earliest," Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav told reporters here after a meeting of the state cabinet, which also discussed the issue.

"...Report is also being sought from the district administration for expediting relief to farmers," Yadav said.
"So far Rs 44 crore has been provided by the Centre and we have sanctioned Rs 200 crore from the contingency fund...," he said, adding that ministers incharge have been asked to personally go in the area and give their inputs.
"Peoples representatives of all the parties should help in providing relief to farmers," he said.

Stating that the issue of farmers' loss was discussed in the cabinet meeting, he said funds for farmers have reached the districts and efforts are on to ensure that it is given to them on the spot instead of through the RTGS.

He said Mathura was worst hit and hoped that the central team submitted its report at the earliest.
"The government has already announced help of Rs 7 lakh in the case of farmers' death and we want to provide it soon on getting the reports," the chief minister said.
He said a decision was also taken for buying fertilizer and providing other facilities to farmers for which funds will be made available.