Gujarat govt announces Rs. 500-crore package for cyclone-hit farmers

Gandhinagar(Information): Chief Minister Vijay Rupani here announced Rs. 500-crore ‘agriculture package’ to compensate damage to summer crops and fruit-bearing trees due to cyclone Tauktae that battered Gujarat with a velocity up to 220 kmph from May 18 to 19, 2021 before moving towards Rajasthan.

The decision was taken at the State Core Committee meeting with Rupani in chair besides Deputy Chief Minister Nitinbhai Patel, Agriculture Minister R.C. Faldu, Energy Minister Saurabh Patel, Minister of State for Home Pradeepsinh Jadeja and senior officers.
They discussed the aftermath of the cyclone affecting estimated 2-lakh hectare of farms and orchards in mainly 86 talukas in five districts of Gir-Somnath, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar and Junagadh in south Gujarat and in Navsari, Surat, Valsad and Bharuch districts in south Gujarat.

Besides crops and orchards, the cyclone damaged houses, roads, snapped power supply and took toll of cattle wealth. The state government’s administration took up restoration and survey.

Since input cost in case of fruits is high, the loss is also high. Gujarat grows mango, chikoo, lemon, coconut, guava, etc in these regions.
The state government will pay Rs 1-lakh per hectare for maximum two hectare for trees completely uprooted from the ground, Rs. 30,000 per hectare, for maximum two hectare, where the damage is more than 33 per cent and where trees are standing but fruits fell prematurely on the ground due to strong winds.

In case of more than 33 per cent damage to crops like oilseeds, bajri, pulses, paddy, groundnut, onion, banana, papaya, etc, the state government will pay Rs. 20,000 per hectare, for maximum two hectare. While the survey of damage is expected to be over in a day, the amount will be directly deposited in the farmers’ bank account through DBT in a week.

The senior officers present at the meeting included Chief Secretary Anil Mukim, Chief Minister’s Chief Principal Secretary K. Kailashnathan, Additional Chief Secretary Pankaj Kumar, Chief Minister’s Secretary Ashwini Kumar and Agriculture Secretary Manish Kumar.