Haryana CM Announces Relief for Flood-Hit Farmers, Defers Power Bills and Crop Loan Recovery

Chandigarh, October 1 — Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has announced major relief measures for farmers affected by heavy rains and floods across the state. The government has decided to defer the payment of electricity bills for tubewell connections until December 2025, with bills due till July now payable from January 2026 without any extra charges. This step will benefit around 7.10 lakh farmers.

Addressing a press conference here today, the Chief Minister also declared a moratorium on the recovery of crop loans in villages where more than 50 percent crop damage has occurred due to floods. In such areas, farmers whose losses exceed 33 percent will not only get relief from repayment of kharif crop loans taken from cooperative societies but will also be eligible for fresh credit for the upcoming rabi season. Nearly three lakh farmers are expected to benefit from this decision.

The government also provided direct financial aid worth ₹4.72 crore to 2,386 affected families for damages caused by the floods. Of this, ₹4.67 crore was given for the loss of 2,371 houses and ₹4.21 lakh for the death of 13 cattle. Saini emphasized that the government stands firmly with people affected by natural disasters, assuring continued support.

The CM highlighted that the state had opened an e-compensation portal till September 15, where 5.37 lakh farmers from 6,397 villages registered crop losses covering 31 lakh acres of land. Verification is underway, and compensation of up to ₹15,000 per acre will be provided in areas where crops were destroyed by waterlogging.

On the procurement front, Saini said that 3.58 lakh metric tonnes of paddy had been procured out of the total 5 lakh metric tonnes received till September 30, with ₹109 crore already transferred to farmers’ accounts. For bajra farmers, the Chief Minister assured a minimum support price of ₹2,775 per quintal, with the state government covering any shortfall if traders buy at a lower price.

He further informed that the recently launched “Lado Lakshmi App” had registered 1.71 lakh girls within six days of its rollout on September 25. Eligible women will start receiving the first installment under the scheme from November 1. Toll-free and helpline numbers have also been set up to assist beneficiaries.

Taking a swipe at the opposition, the CM accused the Congress of playing politics in the name of women’s welfare, while his government had already allocated ₹5,000 crore in the budget to provide ₹2,100 per month to women as promised in its election manifesto.

Senior ministers, including Krishna Lal Panwar, Dr. Arvind Sharma, Krishna Kumar Bedi, and MLA Randhir Panihar, along with senior officials, were present at the press briefing.