Centre ready to give more than stipulated criteria to farmers: Paswan

Varanasi: Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Tuesday said the Central government is ready to give more than the stipulated criteria to farmers who have suffered losses due to untimely rains and hailstorms.

"The central government is ready to give more than the stipulated criteria to the farmers after the hailstorm. There is a contingency fund made for this and they should help out of that," said Paswan.

More than 30 farmers have committed suicide in the region in less than one month due to the heavy loss of crops and discontent in many rural areas against government policies is turning into anger against the government.

Unseasonal storms have badly damaged the winter crop in large parts of the fertile northern plains, most likely contributing to the suicides, and villagers have blamed the government for not stepping in to help the distressed farmers or ensuring that crop prices remained stable.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, meanwhile, is set to visit Agra today to assess the crop damage suffered by farmers.