Raje govt's relief package just peanuts to farmers: Pilot

Congress today termed as "peanuts" the Rajasthan government's compensation given to farmers whose crop had been damaged due to inclement weather.
Congress chief in the state and Union Minister Sachin Pilot said as per the Congress' district units survey, there were more farmers who were eligible for the compensation, which the Vasundhara Raje government had neglected.
"It is unfortunate that the state government is considering crop damage only in 4000 to 5,000 villages, whereas as per the Congress district units (sruvey), the rabi crop in 25,000 villages perished," Pilot said here.
The BJP government's initial survey at Tehsil level was done using a wrong method and it should be done on the crop sown area, he said.

Demanding that compensation be paid for farmers whose even 25 per cent crop was damaged, Pilot said the state government had announced a meagre package only to those whose crops were damaged 50 per cent or above.
Any village having 40 per cent of crop damage should be declared scarcity hit, and farmers' loan should be waived, and revenue collection must be stopped, he demanded.
The PCC chief also demanded that "Abiyana shulk" (tax) in irrigated area be waived off, adding that affected farmers should be provided foodgrains at Re one per kg, and identified affected farmers should be provided financial assistance.

PCC had last week asked the district Congress units to do on-spot survey of crop damage due to inclement weather and file reports by March 2.