Summer rains cause Rs 25 Cr agriculture loss

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 18 (UNI) The Kerala Government today decided to give an assistance of Rs 12 crore to those who suffered agriculture loss in heavy rains that wreak havoc in several parts of the state during the past three days.

Briefing newspersons here after a meeting of the state Cabinet, Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said the state government would also seek the assistance from the Centre as the preliminary estimate put the loss at Rs 25 crore in the districts of Alappuzha, Kottayam and Thrissur.

He said a high-level committee, comprising of secretaries of Revenue, Finance and Civil Supplies and the Agriculture Production Commissioner, had been appointed to study the matter.

He said the government had decided to procure paddy from farmers at a rate of Rs ten per kg as against the earlier Rs nine.

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