Cong for Rs 20,000 per acre relief to farmers hit by rains

Congress today demanded a minimum relief of Rs 20,000 per acre to farmers affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorms in several parts of the country.
"A minimum relief of Rs 20,000 per acre to farmers is needed to tide over the situation caused by the devastation," party spokesperson Khushboo told reporters.
Her demand came on a day when the Centre relaxed quality norms for wheat procurement in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan and would ease the norms in other states after testing the grain samples.
Unseasonal rains and hailstorms, being witnessed from February-end, have damaged rabi (winter-sown) crops in nearly 113 lakh hectares of area in about 14 states.

Total cultivable area in rabi season stands at 600 lakh hectares and wheat is a major rabi crop.
Earlier this week, Congress President Sonia Gandhi had written to Food Minister Ram Vilas Paswan seeking relaxation in specifications for procuring foodgrains.