Has Tamil Nadu Sanctioned Rs 289.63 Crore Relief for Crop Losses Due to Unseasonal Rains?
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Chennai, Dec 24 (NationPress) The government of Tamil Nadu has approved a compensation package of Rs 289.63 crore for farmers whose crops faced substantial destruction due to the northeast monsoon in November and December 2024, along with unseasonal rains in January 2025.
This relief initiative, sanctioned under the guidance of Chief Minister M. K. Stalin, is intended to offer prompt assistance to farmers affected across various districts in the state.
As per an official statement released by the Tamil Nadu government, the heavy rainfall during the specified period inflicted considerable harm on both agricultural and horticultural crops over 5.66 lakh acres.
Following the Chief Minister's directives, joint evaluations were performed by the Revenue and Agriculture departments in the impacted districts.
The assessments verified that the crop damage surpassed 33 percent, qualifying the farmers for compensation as per disaster relief regulations.
Based on thorough evaluations and recommendations from district collectors, the government determined that 4.90 lakh acres of crops and 76,132 acres of horticultural crops were impacted, resulting in a total affected area of 5.66 lakh acres.
Considering these findings, the state government sanctioned compensation from the State Disaster Response Fund to 3.60 lakh farmers.
Out of the total sanctioned sum, Rs 254.38 crore is designated for 2.80 lakh agricultural farmers who experienced losses due to the heavy rains.
Additionally, Rs 35.25 crore has been allocated for 80,383 horticultural farmers whose crops were affected during the same duration.
The government stated that the relief funds will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of qualifying farmers via the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system to guarantee transparency and timely distribution.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister M. R. K. Paneerselvam emphasized the government's commitment to supporting farmers in times of hardship and ensuring prompt delivery of compensation to beneficiaries.
He further noted that under the Chief Minister's leadership, the government has been proactive in addressing the repercussions of unpredictable weather conditions and protecting the livelihoods of farmers.