94 lakh hectare crop area affected: Govt

Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 20

Two months after unpredictable weather conditions set in to damage crops across 14 states, the government today said in Parliament that 93.81 lakh hectares of cultivated area had been affected and needed to be assessed for damages.

The admission came from Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh, who replied in the Lok Sabha to a debate on agrarian crisis in the country. The minister’s reply came after the Congress led by its vice-president Rahul Gandhi cornered the government for repeatedly dishing out varied estimates of damaged area.

“I can say as of today that the total damaged area is 93.81 lakh hectares. This estimate is not final and can change after our Central teams return from their visits to affected states,” Singh said.

Singh also defended the government against Congress’ charge that it was anti-farmer and was doing nothing for them. “This is not true. I must say this is ‘Kalyug’ and in this era people who have nothing to do with the past have to atone for the sins committed by those in the past,” Singh said in reference to the UPA government policies which the BJP today said left no money in the coffers.