Succour for crop loss in 15 days

Times of India, June 19, 2013
BHAWANIPATRA: The state government is planning to provide compensation of at least Rs6,000 per acre to farmers for crop loss they sustained during the rain fury and flash floods in certain parts of the state, panchayatiraj ministerKalpataru Das said here on Tuesday.

"We have decided to pay the amount on the basis of preliminary survey report. After assessing the total damage, the actual amount of compensation will be decided as per the relief code. The amount may go up when we get the final report," Das told reporters here.

Das and food supplies and consumer welfare minister Pratap Keshari Deb visited four villages in Kalampur block of Kalahandi district on Tuesday to assess the crop loss due to recent floods. The ministers interacted with farmers of worst-affected Matikhaal, Biripur, Gumakhal and Kalampur panchayats.

Das said the government has sought the final report of crop loss within seven days from the district administrations, which would be submitted to chief minister Naveen Patnaik. The compensation would be announced within 15 days, he said. The government may announce a special package to farmers whose harvested paddy was damaged, lying in open mandis.

Deb said the government had targeted to procure 50 MT of paddy during rabi season in Kalahandi. The government has already crossed the target and procured 55 MT. Since there is a bumper harvest, officials have been instructed to further increase the target by another 35,000 quintal as early as possible.

When asked about insufficient sheds in mandis, which caused heavy damage, Deb said, "It is impossible to build sheds in all mandis. We are planning to construct 50 sq metre of concrete floor with sheds in most of the mandis to prevent damage during rainfall."

Two days of torrential rain had flooded five blocks in Kalahandi district damaging 21,039.45 acre of farmland affecting 10,000 farmers.