Thiruvananthapuram, May 15 (IANS): State Congress President K Sudhakaran on Wednesday demanded compensation for farmers who have suffered losses due to the drought and heatwave that hit Kerala in the last few months.

“The total loss that has been estimated is to the tune of Rs 500 crore. The state and Centre should now rise to the occasion and make good the huge loss the farmers in Kerala have suffered,” said the state Congress chief.

“Studies say that on account of the drought for the last three months 47,000 hectares of farm produce worth Rs 257 crore was destroyed and there is a compound loss of Rs 500 crore,” said Sudhakaran.

“If the farmers are not compensated soon, the Congress party will launch a protest as the state government is still sitting on the report that the expert committee submitted. The farmers are in dire straits as most of them have availed loans from financial institutions and now with the drought hitting them hard, they have lost everything. They are looking towards the state and Centre for favourable actions,” added Sudhakaran and pointed out that since the Pinarayi Vijayan government had assumed office in 2016 as many as 43 farmers had committed suicide.