Rs 4,000 Crore Package for Hailstorm-hit Farmers of Maharashtra

Maharashtra government today decided to provide a special package of Rs 4,000 crore to farmers in the state whose crops were hit by unseasonal hailstorms in the last few days.

The state cabinet also decided to waive Rs 268 crore towards interest on crop loans and electricity bills of Rs 200 crore of farmers.

The state cabinet, at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, decided to write to the Election Commission of India seeking its permission to make the announcement in this regard in view of the model of code of conduct for Lok Sabha polls.

Sources said the compensation will be Rs 25,000 per hectare.

Hailstorms have destroyed standing crops in more than 20 districts of the state in over 15 lakh hectares of farmland.

Maharashtra has already sought a Rs 5,000 crore special package from the Centre to tackle the situation.

Thirteen farmers have committed suicide in Marathwada region in the last one week after freak hailstorms and rains hit their winter crops.