Govt clears Rs 352 crore for farmers hit by unseasonal rains, hail

New Delhi: The Centre will provide Rs 352 crore assistance to farmers for replanting horticultural crops that were hit by untimely rains and hailstorms early this month in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan, a government source said today. That apart, the Centre has decided to release Rs 92 crore to Karnataka for providing relief to farmers who lost the rabi crops and homes to unseasonal rains, the source said. “The Empowered Group of Ministers, headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar has approved Rs 352 crore as relief for replanting and rejuvenation of damaged horticultural crops in four states,” the source said. [caption id=“attachment_1459013” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Hail and unseasonal rains are alleged to have destroyed crops worth crores. AFP[/caption] The funds will be released from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). This would be over and above the assistance that is already being provided as part of a scheme under the National Horticultural Mission (NHM). While the assistance of Rs 92 crore, to be released from NDRF, to Karnataka was approved in a separate meeting of the High Level Committee, also headed by Pawar, the source said. Finance Minister P Chidambaram and Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde were present at both the meetings. On 20 March, the EGoM had approved a financial assistance of Rs 1,351 crore to Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh for damage to the crops. Unseasonal rains, winds and hailstorms early this month have affected rabi (winter) crops like wheat, pulses, oilseeds and horticultural crops in the four states. PTI