State asks Centre for Rs 200 crore as hailstorm comp

Mumbai: Maharashtra government has sought Rs 200 crore for the hailstorm losses from the centre as about 2 lakh hectare of land has been affected.

The state is hopeful that it would get help from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), else it will have to make a provision from its own budget to be presented on March 9.

On February 11 and 12, the state had hailstorm in its Marathwada and Vidarbha region affecting 16 districts and 1279 villages.

The government claimed that it immediately conducted punchnama of the crops that were lost. “We have written to the Centre demanding Rs 200 crore for hailstorm losses. We are expecting the aid to be received under National Disaster Response Fund,” Agriculture Minister Pandurang Phundkar said. He visited about 14 villages to take stock of the situation.

The minister said that the farmers would also get crop insurance. “But those who do not have crop insurance will get help from the NDRF. There are more number of farmers who do not get crop insurance for rabbi season as compared to kharif season,” Phundkar said.

The crops that were lost include wheat, chana, onion, jawar, grapes and mangoes. There are different compensation norms for the different crops like for sweet lime Rs 23,000 per ha, for banana Rs 40,000 per ha, mangoes Rs 36,000 per ha, etc. “We are yet to get a complete report about the losses. But the amount that we have calculated depends on the compensation offered for different crops.

We will get the exact report on losses in two days. But the losses would be around Rs 200 crore. We will also have to speak with the Chief Minister and the finance minister to make some provisions in the budget this year for the compensation,” Phundkar added.