The government will give a diesel subsidy of Rs 500 per hectare to farmers in the drought-hit Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal to meet their extra cost of irrigating their crops, a decision that will cost the exchequer Rs 500 crore.
 
"Every farmer will get Rs 500 per hectare as diesel subsidy," Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said at a conference on the rabi crop season here, adding that the decision was taken by the government yesterday at a high-level meeting.
 
"Yesterday, we took decision to provide them Rs 500 crore as subsidy for diesel. Our expectation is though there is insufficient rain but still there is water in many rivers and wells. So farmer should take advantage in saving the crops.
 
Probably, he has to spend more and that's why up to Rs 500 per hectare monetary support the government will provide to these farmers in three states," Pawar added.
 
According to a presentation by Agriculture Commissioner Gurbachchan Singh, West Bengal received 16 per cent less rainfall than normal between June 1 and September 8, while Bihar and Jharkhand got 25 per cent and 48 per cent less rainfall, respectively, than normal.
 
West Bengal has declared that 11 of its districts are drought-hit, while Bihar has given a similar status to 28 out of 38 districts. All 24 of Jharkhand's districts have also been declared as drought-hit.