Gujarat govt announces Rs 10k cr package for rain-affected farmers

Ahmedabad, Nov 7 (PTI) The Gujarat government on Monday announced a Rs 10,000 crore relief package for farmers for crop damage due to the recent spell of unseasonal rains.

The announcement was made by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel following a comprehensive review of the situation and assessment of loss incurred by farmers, said an official release.

Before taking a decision about the relief package, Patel and other ministers visited affected villages and interacted with affected farmers to understand their situation, said the release.

In a statement on X, Patel said, "In this regard, I and my fellow ministers went to different districts and directly interacted with the affected farmers to understand their situation. Understanding the pain of the sons of the soil in this hour of natural calamity, the state government stands by them with full sympathy." "In view of the extensive damage to the crops across the state, I am announcing a relief package of Rs 10,000 crore for the sons of the soil. In addition, the state government is also going to purchase groundnuts, moong, urad and soybean worth more than Rs 15,000 crore from farmers at MSP from November 9," Patel said.

On October 29, Patel had ordered a survey to assess the loss incurred by farmers due to unseasonal rains.

As per the state government, 239 talukas across 33 districts received heavy rains from October 23 to 28, affecting crops on more than 10 lakh hectares of land.

On November 3, Patel visited two villages of Gir-Somnath and Junagadh district and interacted with affected farmers. PTI PJT PD BNM