Pre-PM Modi Gujarat Visit: Relief Package Announced for Narmada River Flood-Damaged Crops

The relief package’s specific financial allocation has not been clarified yet. The opposition alleges a complete human-made crisis in Gujarat, and amidst ongoing political turmoil, PM is scheduled to visit Gujarat on September 26th, with the relief package announced just before his trip, raising questions.

Gandhinagar: Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Gujarat visit, the state government has announced a relief package. Heavy rainfall and subsequent flooding in Bharuch, Narmada, and Vadodara districts between September 16 and 18 caused extensive damage to crops, particularly horticultural crops. In response, the state government has introduced the Agricultural Relief Package 2023 to provide special assistance to affected farmers.

Led by Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, the state government has announced this agricultural relief package to assist the farmers affected by recent natural disasters. Bharuch, Vadodara, and Narmada districts experienced heavy rainfall, leading to extensive flooding in both the riverbanks and fields. The initial estimates of the damage were provided to the state government through the respective district administrations.

In the context of these estimates, the state government has confirmed that the special agricultural relief package will be provided over and above the SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund) allocation in the state budget to assist farmers affected by these circumstances. This package will benefit farmers in disaster-affected villages, as declared by the district administrations, where agriculture and horticulture crops have suffered a loss of 33% or more.

Here is a Summary of the Assistance Provided Under the Agricultural Relief Package:

1. For Kharif 2023-24 season, farmers practicing rainfed cultivation with a loss of 33% or more in their crops will receive assistance.
   • Farmers affected by such losses in Bharuch, Vadodara, and Narmada districts will receive a minimum of INR 8,500 per hectare, and those with more than two hectares will be eligible for assistance.
   • For rainfed cultivation in the Kharif season of 2023-24, farmers who have suffered a loss of 33% or more in both rainfed crops and horticultural crops will receive INR 17,000 per hectare if their losses meet SDRF norms.
   • In addition, farmers in rainfed areas suffering a loss of 33% or more in horticultural crops like bananas, papayas, or crops destroyed by pests, disease, or excessive rainfall, will receive INR 22,500 per hectare if their losses meet SDRF norms.
   • Furthermore, if the loss exceeds two hectares, they will receive assistance on a pro-rata basis, and the maximum assistance per hectare will be INR 25,000.
2. For horticultural crops in rainfed areas with losses of 33% or more due to uprooting, lodging, or wilting, as well as crops like cannabis or those entirely destroyed, farmers will receive INR 22,500 per hectare if their losses meet SDRF norms.
   • In cases where losses exceed two hectares, assistance will be provided on a pro-rata basis, with a maximum of INR 1,02,500 per hectare in extreme cases.

This assistance will be available to eligible farmers under the specified hectare limits.

Farmers Affected by the Agricultural Relief Package can apply for Assistance through the Digital Gujarat portal.

They can submit their applications online, and there will be no fee or charge for this process. These applications can be filed through VCE (Village Computer Entrepreneur) or VLE (Village Level Entrepreneur).

The deadline for submitting applications on the Digital Gujarat portal is October 31, 2023. Once the applications are processed, the assistance, including any additional subsidies or benefits for eligible beneficiaries, will be disbursed through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to their bank accounts.

This digital application process aims to streamline and expedite the distribution of aid to the affected farmers.