Chennai: After having declared Tamil Nadu as drought-hit due to deficient North East Monsoon and other factors, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami on Tuesday announced a Rs 2,247 crore package that would provide relief to more than 32 lakh farmers who have suffered huge losses due to crop failure.
Noting that more than 87 per cent of farmland has been affected due to drought that has hit the state since last December, Mr Palanisami said the relief assistance would be directly credited into bank accounts of the farmers who have been affected. He said the state is facing the worst ever drought in the last 140 years since the state recorded just 168.03 mm of rainfall in 2016.
In a detailed statement, the Chief Minister said several groups of senior bureaucrats and ministers had visited all districts of the state in January this year and submitted a comprehensive report on the damages suffered by the farmers due to failure of monsoon.
While paddy farmers who have cultivated other irrigation crops would be given a relief of Rs 5,465 per acre, those with long-term crops would get an assistance of Rs 7,287 per acre, rain fed crops (Rs 3,000) and between Rs 2,428 and Rs 3,000 per acre for silkworm rearing.
The Tamil Nadu Government, then headed by O Panneerselvam, had in January declared the state as drought-hit and announced that it would come out with a comprehensive relief package for affected farmers. Listing the steps taken by the district administration to mitigate the sufferings of farmers, Mr Palanisami said land tax have been completely waived off and certificates are being issued to farmers for converting their crop loans into mid-term loans.
