Ramanagaram (Karnataka): Congress president Sonia Gandhi on September 30 hailed the Rs 880 crore relief package unveiled by the Karnataka government to help farmers facing distress situation due to severe drought conditions in the state.

Gandhi, who undertook a whirlwind tour of four villages under the Kanakapura Lok Sabha constituency, visited four families of farmers who had committed suicides in recent times, consoled their kith and kin and handed over a cheque of Rs one lakh as compensation granted by the state government.

In a brief chat with reporters at K Gopally in Ramanagaram taluk, she accused the Centre of failing to respond to the repeated pleas by Congress to come to the rescue of farmers by rendering assistance to drought-affected states, apparently hinting at the non-release of special assistance of Rs 1,881 crore and 10 lakh metric tonnes of food grains sought by Karnataka.

She underlined the need for analysing the causes for the deaths of farmers and wanted the state and the Central governments to take steps to prevent these.

She expressed happiness over the gesture of the Karnataka government in granting Rs one lakh compensation to the families of farmers who committed suicides due to crop failure, saying "It is a good decision. The farmers at least get some relief."

PTI