Vidarbha farmer gets Rs 80 cheque in flood relief

A farmer from Vidharbha who says his home and crops were badly damaged by severe floods in 2013 has received government compensation of just Rs 80, a report said on Wednesday.

A farmer who says his home and crops were badly damaged by severe floods this year has received government compensation of just Rs 80, a report said on Wednesday.

Sonba Ganpat Bawne, from the poverty-hit Vidarbha region in the western state of Maharashtra, said he had spent Rs 14,000 repairing his home after the flooding, according to NDTV news network.

The 55-year-old said he received a cheque from the local government which was less than he had spent on refreshments for the official who surveyed the house to assess compensation a month ago.

"This is a cruel joke on us. If the government is so hard up for money, we should collect some funds to help them out," Bawne's son Ruprao said.

But a district revenue officer, Ramesh Wandile, said the survey had shown only 1% damage, amounting to Rs 83.

"We gave a round figure of Rs 80," he told the TV channel.

The report said that, while a Rs 200 crore package was set aside for those hit by July's floods in the area, many farmers complained of receiving little or no help from the state.

More than 100 people died in the floods in Vidarbha, an area known for its high rate of farmer suicides.

Further north in India's Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, nearly 6,000 pilgrims, tourists and others are believed to have died when flash floods and landslides struck in June.