Gandhinagar, Nov 7 : Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel on Friday announced the state's largest-ever assistance package worth Rs 10,000 crore, government officials said.

The move comes as part of the state government's continued commitment to stand by its farmers during natural calamities and ensure their recovery.

The Chief Minister's decision ensures uniform compensation for both irrigated and non-irrigated crops -- a first in the state's history.

Under this relief package, the state government will provide assistance of Rs 22,000 per hectare, up to a maximum of two hectares per farmer, to those who suffered crop losses due to the erratic weather conditions.

Over the past week, more than 5,100 survey teams assessed crop damage across 16,500 villages in 251 talukas spread over 33 districts.

The Chief Minister personally directed that these surveys be completed within three days, reflecting the state government's urgency and commitment to expedite relief measures.

Following Chief Minister Patel's instructions, Cabinet Ministers and senior officials were deployed to the worst-affected regions to assess the ground situation.

Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi visited the Surat district, Agriculture Minister Jitu Vaghani inspected Bhavnagar, while other Ministers, including Naresh Patel, Arjun Modhwadia, Pradyuman Vaja, and Kaushik Vekariya, reviewed damage in tribal and coastal regions such as Tapi, Junagadh, Gir Somnath, and Amreli.

The Chief Minister himself toured parts of Gir Somnath and Junagadh, meeting affected farmers, listening to their grievances, and assuring them of full government support.

A high-level meeting chaired by CM Patel and attended by Ministers Jitu Vaghani, Rushikesh Patel, Kunvarji Bavaliya, Arjun Modhwadia, and Raman Solanki finalised the Rs 10,000-crore assistance package after reviewing all reports.

Finance Minister Kanu Desai and Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi also joined the discussions via video conference.

The Chief Minister emphasised that the package reflects the state's unwavering empathy and solidarity with its farmers, who form the backbone of Gujarat's economy.

The assistance, he said, will provide timely financial support to help farmers rebuild and stabilise their livelihoods after the widespread crop damage.

/IANS