Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said farmers would be eligible for input subsidy if 33 percent of their crop has been damaged as against the prevailing norm of 50 percent or more.
Making the announcement during the launch of the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana here, Modi said the input subsidy given to distressed farmers would be enhanced by 50 percent of the existing amounts.
This is a major departure from the incremental changes in input subsidy that have been made hitherto, he said.
Expressing concern over the problems faced by farmers due to abnormal weather conditions over the past year, the prime minister said helping farmers in such a time of distress was our responsibility, and, therefore, the government has sent teams of central ministers to affected areas to assess the extent of damage.
The union and state governments, the banks and insurance companies would all do their utmost to provide relief to the farmers, he said.
Reacting to this announcement, Janata Dal-United leader Sharad Yadav said Modi was only selling dreams and has no road-map.
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Yadav demanded an all-party meeting on the farmers' situation.
Unseasonal rain and hailstorms have destroyed crops in several parts of northern and western India. Small farmers are reported to have suffered the most.