Congress President Sonia Gandhi has written to the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav, seeking another survey to re-assess the damage to crops by the recent untimely rains and hailstorm and its effect on the livelihood of farmers, especially small and marginal ones.
The Congress President, who recently visited UP, said she was informed by the district administration that only 10-15 per cent of crop damage was seen in Rae Bareli, her Parliamentary constituency.
In the letter dated March 28, she drew the State Government’s attention particularly to the condition of small and marginal farmers, which was “worrisome and may push of lakhs of such farmers to the brink of starvation''.
Making a special request, she said since the State Government’s parameters only allow for compensation to be paid to farmers who have faced 50 per cent or above of crop damage, the UP Government should conduct another survey, so that small and marginal farmers are duly compensated.