The suicide by a farmer in Bharatpur district of Rajasthan after the unseasonal rain and hailstorm destroyed his crops has prompted the Congress government into action. An exercise is under way to assess the damage to crops on thousands of acres in several districts. The government has assured farmers of adequate compensation.
Gulab Chand, 40, disappeared from his home at Phulwara on Sunday night. He was found hanging from a tree near a temple on Monday. Minister of State in charge of Bharatpur Ashok Chandna, who visited the bereaved family, said the benefits of welfare schemes would be extended to his kin on priority, besides the compensation.
The Ministers and officers of the Revenue and Agriculture Departments are visiting 18 districts, where crops have been damaged on a large scale. In more than 10 of these districts, 80% of the crops were destroyed last week.
The farmers have demanded full compensation, pointing out that even the grain for human consumption and fodder were destroyed. The huts and cattle-sheds were damaged and milch animals died in many villages.
Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria said the government would distribute compensation after completing the assessment, and no farmer would be left out. He said the farmers who had sown tomatoes, melons and cucumber had suffered huge losses.
Among the worst-affected districts are Bharatpur, Sikar, Bikaner, Hanumangarh, Sriganganagar, Alwar and Karauli. Agriculture Commissioner Om Prakash, who visited Lohawat and Phalodi in Jodhpur district, said the benefit of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Beema Yojana would be extended to the affected farmers, and the claims would be submitted at the earliest.
Rajya Sabha member Kirori Lal Meena led hundreds of farmers from Chaksu to Jaipur on Monday, demanding compensation. They staged a protest on being stopped at Durgapura. The dharna was lifted after the Agriculture Minister said revenue and insurance officials would join the survey for calculating compensation.
