New Delhi, July 31 (IANS) The Congress Thursday sought a special package for farmers affected by floods and drought in the country.

Speaking during a special discussion in the Lok Sabha on the floods and drought situation in the country, Congress MP Ravneet Singh said there should be measures to save farmers from natural calamities by giving them special packages like special assistance to small farmers and crop insurance schemes.

He said the central government must draft a new scheme like the the previous United Progressive Alliance’s Rs.72,000 crore loan waiver scheme to help farmers in crisis.

Singh said drought like situation is prevailing in 11 out of 22 districts in his state of Punjab where farmers need urgent government assistance.

AIADMK’s M. Chandrakasi asked the government to develop modern early warning systems for natural disasters like tsunamis.

According to Trinamool Congress MP Tapas Mandal, the country should go for different types of crops rather than traditional farming to compensate the damage done by natural disasters like floods and drought.

Biju Janata Dal’s Nagendra Kumar Pradhan said small and marginal farmers in Odisha were the worst affected from cyclone and floods and demanded financial assistance for them from the central government.

He said 80 percent rainfall in Odisha takes place in just three months, leading to severe hardships to farmers.

Sanjay Jadhav of the Shiv Sena said though 70 percent of the population in the country are farmers, little or no attention is paid towards welfare of farmers.

He demanded a special package for the drought-hit farmers of Maharashtra and said big farmers always got government assistance but small farmers were deprived of it.