Relief manual to provide for compensation to farmers, Sat Mahajan

Shimla, Aug 25 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Sat Mahajan today said the state's relief manual is being amended to provide for direct compensation to farmers for losses to their crops due to natural calamities.

Replying to the debate on the situation due to losses to the crops due to drought and later heavy rains in the state, he admitted that the state's relief manual did not provide for distributing direct relief to farmers whose crops had been damaged due to natural calamities.

Mr Mahajan said the manual would be amended to incorporate the views expressed in the House and the will of the farmers.

As of now the relief manual only provides for subsidy on seeds and fertilizers, besides waiving off the dues of the farmers for the year in which the crops were damaged due to disasters, he said.

He said Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh was also keen to have it amended for provide cash compensation to the farmers.

Agreeing with members cutting across political lines that the manual had to be amended, he said work on it, which the state government had promised to amend during the winter session of the Assembly held at Dharamshala in Kangra district in December last year, was already on.

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