Central team begins assessing crop damage

Mumbai: A central team tasked with assessing the crop damage caused by recent unseasonal rains in Marathwada kicked off its three-day visit to the region on Friday.

The team, which comprises two officials from the Centre’s agriculture department, visited Sillod, Phulambri and Kannad talukas on the first day, a statement from the district collectorate said.

On Saturday, the team will visit Gevrai, Majalgaon, Dharur and Wadhwani in Beed district, while on Sunday it will go to Badnapur, Bhokardan and Jaffrabad in Jalna district, it added.

The state administration has, meanwhile, sanctioned Rs 819.59 crore relief for farmers of the region who suffered losses due to unseasonal showers, according to an official.

The beneficiaries are those who reside in eight districts of the region. “The state administration has sanctioned the funds as aid for post-monsoon showers that hit farmers in Marathwada,” deputy divisional commissioner Parag Soman said.

The drought-prone region didn’t receive adequate rainfall during the monsoon, but farmers suffered the most when their crops were damaged due to unseasonal showers, a state official said.

“This damage was surveyed by government agencies and a demand of Rs 2,909.36 crore was earlier presented to the state administration,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Narendra Modi-led Central government has decided to grant Rs 600 crore as interim relief for Maharashtra farmers whose kharif crops were affected due to heavy rains in October, Minister of State for agriculture Purushottam Rupala said in Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Responding to queries during Question Hour, he said crops have been affected due to rains not only in Maharashtra but in many other states as well.

“Based on the first request made by the state government, we sent a delegation to assess the damage. Based on inputs of the delegation, we have taken an interim decision to grant Rs 600 crore to help farmers. This is not the final one,” he said in the Upper House.