Fresh crop loss assessment started in Muzaffarnagar

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised higher compensation to the farmers whose crops were damaged in the untimely rains, district authorities today started fresh assessment of losses of crops.
Besides, the criterion of 50 per cent crop damage for providing compensation to farmers has been reduced to 33 per cent, which will help more people get better compensation for the crop loss.
Modi had yesterday announced the government's decision to raise by 50 per cent the quantum of compensation to farmers affected by crop losses due to recent unseasonal rains.
Additional District Magistrate Ramkishan Sharma said that more than 50,000 farmers would be provided relief.

Rs 5 lakh compensation has been provided to the families of two deceased farmers - Dharmendra of Mohammadpur Raisingh village and Kaliram of Jatnagla village, he said.
Meanwhile, two more farmers -- Anil Kumar here and Pritam of Shamli allegedly committed suicide yesterday due to depression over crop loss, police said.
Investigations are on in both the cases to ascertain cause of deaths, they said.