Chief Minister Smt. Vasundhara Raje announced for additional relief for the losses incurred to the farmers across the state due to untimely rains and hailstorms over past several days. Expressing her concerns in the state Assembly on Monday over the crop damages and loss of human or animal lives and other properties she said that some relief package for this natural calamity would be expanded by adding some extra points into it.

The CM said that deviating from the norms the government would now provide Rs. 3 lakh cash compensation instead of earlier amount of Rs. 1.5 lakh for loss of any human life. She said that to ensure that there was no cause of disturbance in relief works, all district collectors had been sanctioned money from the revolving funds till the revenue department survey reports on losses were received. She said that the state government was very sensitive towards the issues of farmers and all possible help would be extended to such victims.

Participating in a special debate in the House to discuss the damaged incurred to farmers due to unseasonal rains and hailstorms across the state, Smt. Raje said that the relief package announced by her in 2008 was considered enough by the successive government and the package continued. She announced to add a few more points into this package and stated that in case of a loss to human life, the relief amount of Rs. 1.5 lakh would be increased by additional sum of Rs. 1.5 lakh.

Likewise, the CM declared to increase the compensation for loss of livestock. She said that as per the package compensatory amount of Rs. 1650 was to be given per dead animal upto death of 4 sheep or goats. Now, the state government could give compensation upto Rs. 1 lakh to a farmer from its own resources. Also, on loss of animals like cow, buffalo or camel etc. the farmer was to be given relief of Rs. 16,400 per animal lost. A maximum limit for this too had been increased to Rs. 1.25 lakh.

Smt. Raje said that the state government took immediate step in view of the unseasonal rains and hailstorm in the state and the Chief Secretary took stock of situation by holding a video conference meeting with the divisional commissioners and the district collectors. She said that all the collectors were on the field visits to get the ground reports on damages caused by rains. She said that it could take a little while in accessing the real situation on ground in such cases, but she had instructed the officers to collect the information at the earliest so that the victims could be extended timely relief. She said that till the girdavari reports were received, the collectors had been allocated compensation from the revolving funds so that the relief works were not hindered.

The CM said that as per the Calamity Relief Fund norms, the maximum drought time limit was 30 days, which had now been extended upto 90 days after much efforts by her government. She said that she was expecting it to increase further in view of the special conditions of the state. In this regard, required support would be demanded from the union government by writing a letter to explain the scenario.

Jaipur, 16 March 2015