In the wake of ongoing protest of BKS leaders, the Gujarat Government announced `1,100-crore relief package for farmers on Monday. The package offers `500 crore relief in electricity bills as well as `600 crore in the interest of short-term loans via 50 per cent waiver. Besides, the Government also announced to extend `700 crore assistance to farmers during ongoing agriculture fair.
Despite the package, BKS Gujarat president Magan Patel was not convinced. Patel said the State Government accepted only 50 per cent demands of farmers. “As per an estimate, Gujarat will produce 1.20 crore bales of cotton this year. Generally farmers fetch hefty prices, but this year some of the countries were cotton is exported every year, have witnessed bumper yield and as result of it global prices have come down,” said the State Government, adding that the farmers have taken `21,000 crore as short-term crop loan from cooperative and nationalised banks.