Relief package of Rs 126 crore to farmers affected by cold wave

Jaipur, Feb 15 (UNI) Rajasthan government has announced a relief package of Rs 126 crore to the farmers affected by formation of ground frost and severe cold wave conditions in the state.

The decision was taken in this regard today at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and was announced by Disaster Management Minister Laxmi Naryan Dave and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore here today.

Mr Rathore said the relief would be distributed by the first week of March after getting the Girdhari report from the districts.

He said the major component of the package is Rs 101 crore as an input subsidy to 1,37,287 farmers, Rs 15 crore for four months electricity would be wave off to small and marginal farmers and water cess relief of Rs 10 crore.

The minister said wherever the crops loss was more than 50 per cent it would be declared as scarcity prone areas and land revenue collection would be waved off and stoppage of water cess and short term loans would be converted into long term loans.

Mr Dave said according to initial estimates crops in 8.9 lakh hectres of land with an average of 39.8 per cent loss in 22 districts in the state were affected by the cold wave conditions.

Meanwhile former Rajasthan Chief Minsiter Ashok Gehlot said the relief package was 'insufficient' and only after the Congress party raised the demand, the government wake up from its slumber at a meeting in Nagaur district today.

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