Seems to be in the wake of disease problems with Bt cotton and in the context of suicides due to debt.
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Maharashtra Government announces special aid to affected Bt cotton farmers
Web India, Feb 20 2006
http://news.webindia123.com/news/showdetails.asp?id=254295&cat=India

The Maharashtra Government has announced special financial assistance to the farmers who had lost their BT cotton crop due to 'Lalya' disease and other reasons in 2005-06 in the state, according to Chief Secretary Prem Kumar here today.

Addressing a meeting of districts' collectors and revenue officers in Vidarbha, organised to review the implementation of the government's package of Rs 1,075 crore declared during the winter session of the state legislature in last December for families of the farmers who committed suicide, he said that this assistance would be limited to only those cotton growers who had lost the minimum BT crop of Rs 1,000 per hectare. They would be reimbursed by cash benefit.

He said a provision of Rs 200 crore was made, out of which Rs 25 crore had already been made availabe to disburse the aid through banks by March-end and orders to this effect were already issued to all district collectors.

In the meeting, other issues like registration of offences (279) against the money-lenders who had given loans to faremrs at higher interest rates in the Amravati district and provision of Rs one lakh in financial assistance to the bereaved families of the faremers were also discussed.

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