Maharashtra to provide compensation to farmers for crop loss caused by October rains

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde. File Pic

The Maharashtra cabinet on Wednesday decided to pay compensation up to three hectares to farmers who lost their crops due to retreating rains last month.

This decision was taken in the weekly Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde. For the crop losses in October rains, compensation up to 3 hectares will be provided which is double the amount given through the State Disaster Relief Fund, the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said in a statement.

The administration has been asked to conduct panchanamas or assessments of the losses suffered by farmers expeditiously.

As per a preliminary report, rains destroyed crops on 25 lakh hectares of irrigated land.

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The state government has provided the additional relief of Rs 4,700 crore since June-July as compensation to farmers whose crops were damaged due to rains, it said, adding farmers were never provided with the relief due to constant rains in the past.

"Since June-July, 40,15,847 farmers who suffered crop losses have been provided Rs 4,700 crore which is more than the National Disaster Response Fund," it stated.

The Opposition has been demanding that the government declare a wet drought in the state but the government has not yet accepted this demand.

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