Lok Sabha members express concern over damage to crops due to rains

NEW DELHI: Concern was voiced in Lok Sabha today over severe damage to standing crops in several parts of the country due to unseasonal rains, with members making a strong plea for grant of special packages to affected states to tide over the situation.

Cutting across party lines, members wanted central teams to be rushed to the affected states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh to assess the damage, so that farmers hit by the calamity could be quickly compensated.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Om Birla (BJP) lamented that Rajasthan farmers have been hit hard by the unseasonal rains.

Dipender Hooda ( Congress) said it was a similar story in Haryana where farmers have also been facing problems of urea scarcity and not getting remunerative prices for their kharif produce.

Minister of state for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Pratap Rudy accused the Congress member of politicising the issue.

BJP member Jagdambika Pal said in Uttar Pradesh at least three farmers have already committed suicide or died of shock following the damage to their standing crops.

Some other members too narrated the problems being faced in their areas due to the unseasonal rainfall.

Noting that the government was alive to the problem, Rudy assured the members that he would draw the attention of the Agriculture Minister on the issue.