Nearly Rs 700 crore approved for relief of Maharashtra floods: Narendra Singh Tomar

New Delhi, July 27: Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Tuesday said that the Centre had approved nearly Rs 700 crore towards relief of farmers in flood-hit Maharashtra, even as Opposition members continued disrupting the lower chamber for the fifth straight day.

It can be seen that Speaker Om Birla urged the Opposition to join in the proceedings repeatedly but the question hour had to be adjourned many times. The first hour of Lok Sabha is reserved for question on any public issue from lawmakers and called the Question Hour.

The members of the Opposition held protests demanding discussions on the Pegasus Project, the recent case of data leaked to a consortium of news media, suggesting a spyware was used to track various people in India.

The Opposition began protests with noisy slogans, prompting the Speaker to intervene. "Please return to your seats and take part in the proceedings. You can get the government to answer all your questions. Please cooperate," Birla said, making similar requests frequently.

Amid stormy scenes, Tomar made a statement on the severe flooding in Maharashtra, which has reportedly killed hundreds of people and affected thousands of families.

"We have received and analysed a detailed report of destruction in the state due to the recent floods, especially to farmers. The home ministry has approved ₹700 crore towards relief," Tomar said.

The farm minister said nearly 1.1 million farmers were given claims under a flagship state-run agricultural insurance scheme. Farmers will receive additional compensation under the state's disaster relief fund, he said.