Gujarat announces relief package for hailstorm-hit farmers

Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today announced a special relief package here for farmers whose crops were damaged in the recent spate of unseasonal rains and hailstorm.
The development came after farmers organisations like Bharatiya Kisan Sangh and Congress demanded immediate relief assistance to farmers.
"I had appointed a committee of ministers to look into damages caused by unseasonal rains and hailstorm. The committee was mandated to give its suggestion on how relief assistance can be given to farmers," Patel informed the House.
"After collecting data on damages suffered by farmers, the committee recommended that farmers who lost 25 per cent or above of their crops should be given financial assistance. The rule says that in case of unseasonal rains if crop losses are more than 50 per cent, then farmers should get relief," Patel said.

"However, as a special case, we have decided to give financial assistance to all those farmers who have suffered losses of more then 25 per cent, accepting the committee's recommendations," she said.
She announced that small and marginal farmers would be given Rs 4,500 per hectare subsidy for non-irrigated land and Rs 7,500 subsidy for irrigated land. Subsidy would also be given to other farmers in the similar way, she said.