Rajasthan govt announces relief package for farmers

The Rajasthan government today announced a relief package for farmers whose crops have damaged in the recent hailstorm.
Approximately 4,400 villages in 21 districts will be covered with the package, a release said.
Under the package, financial support will be provided at the rate of Rs 4,500 per hectare in non-irrigated areas where the damage is over 50 per cent.
The compensation rate for irrigated area will be Rs 9,000 per hectare and Rs 12,000 where irrigation is through diesel pump sets.
As per the package, electricity bills of those small and marginal farmers will be waived who have suffered over 50 per cent losses in the hailstorm.

Farmers with over 50 per cent crop losses will also be exempted from Abiyana tax collected by the irrigation department, the release said.
District collectors have also been directed to prepare Girdawari reports and if a village is assessed with over 50 per cent losses, it will be declared as scarcity-hit village.
In scarcity hit villages, affected farmers will be able to get their short term loan taken by cooperative societies converted into medium term loan.