The Maharashtra cabinet decided to offer financial help to cotton farmers - with a 2-hectare ceiling - on Wednesday.
Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan held a meeting with party leaders, legislators and farmers' organisations to discuss the farmers' demand - minimum support price of Rs6,000 a quintal.
While Opposition leader Girish Mahajan is on a hunger strike in support of cotton farmers, independent legislator from Amravati, Ravi Rana, ended his fast this week on Chavan's assurance that the demand would be considered.
With the election commission's restriction on taking populist decisions ahead of local self-government elections, Chavan did not make any announcement on the amount to be given per hectare.
Sources in the government said that the relief could be between Rs1,500-2,000 per hectare. Nearly 40 lakh hectares of land in Vidarbha, Marathwada and north Maharashtra is under cotton cultivation this season.
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