Unseasonal rains have damaged crops: : Union Minister Tomar
New Delhi (PTI): Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Saturday said unseasonal rains have damaged crops and the government is waiting for inputs from states to assess the extent of damage.
"Definitely, crops have been damaged due to the unseasonal rains. The survey is underway and we are waiting for reports from the states to assess the extent of damage," Tomar told reporters.
Farmers are dependent on monsoon, which is unpredictable, he said, adding that despite all measures in place, cultivators are at the mercy of nature.
The state governments have State Disaster Relief Funds which they can use for providing compensation to farmers. More funds from the National Disaster Relief Fund will be released after the due process of assessing the extent of damage, he said.
The minimum support price (MSP) of rabi crops will be announced very soon, he added.
Sowing of rabi crops, especially oilseeds and pulses, has begun across the country and about 7.34 lakh hectares have been covered so far, according to agriculture ministry data released on Friday.
Wheat is the main rabi (winter) crop but its sowing data has not yet been reported from states.
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Indian Coast Guard detains Iranian fishing vessel with 6 Indian crew
New Delhi, May 6: The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has detained an Iranian fishing vessel with six Indian crew off the coast of Kerala, the defence ministry said on Monday.
The vessel was detained on Sunday following a swift "sea-air" coordinated operation by the ICG, it said.
The ministry said the crew alleged that the "Iranian sponsor" of the vessel ill-treated and deprived them of basic living conditions and confiscated their passports.
Initial investigation revealed that the owner of the boat was an Iranian national who had contracted the Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu, it said.
"The Indian Coast Guard detained an Iranian fishing vessel, with six Indian crew, west of Beypore off the coast of Kerala late on May 5. The swift sea-air coordinated operation involved the ships and aircraft of the ICG," the ministry said in a statement.
"After intercepting the boat, an ICG team boarded the vessel and thoroughly investigated it to check the involvement of any anti-national activity," it said.
"Initial investigation revealed that the owner of the boat was an Iranian sponsor who had contracted these Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu, and issued them Iranian Visas for fishing off the Iran coast," it added.
The vessel was brought to Kochi for further investigation.
"The crew alleged that the sponsor ill-treated and deprived them of basic living conditions, besides confiscating their passports. The crew said that they had decided to escape from Iran to India using the same boat," the ministry said.
@IndiaCoastGuard in a swift sea-air coordinated operation intercepts & detains #Iranian fishing vessel in #Arabian sea west off #Kerala coast with 06 #Indian crew employed on contractual basis at Iran. Crew alleges exploitation & mistreatment by the boat owner. The boat has been… pic.twitter.com/4N02929W4w
— Indian Coast Guard (@IndiaCoastGuard) May 6, 2024
