Bhubaneswar: The Orissa government on Wednesday
announced financial assistance to farmers facing crop losses
due to deficient rainfall and pest attack.
"While the farmers incurring crop loss would get Rs 4,000
per hectare of irrigated land, the amount is Rs 2,000 per
hectare for non-irrigated land," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
told reporters after reviewing the situation here.
Patnaik made the announcement after the administrative
inquiry by the Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), R N
Senapati, confirmed crop loss due to deficient rainfall and
pest attack in parts of western Orissa, official sources said.
Besides financial assistance, Patnaik also announced
government`s plan to invest Rs 300 crore on renovation of
minor irrigation projects, besides digging of about one lakh
farm ponds in land owned by small and marginal farmers.
As many as eight farmers have committed suicides
allegedly due to crop loss and loan burdens within a month,
sources said.
While the opposition parties had already made farmer
suicide incidents a major issue in the state, Agriculture
Minister Damodar Rout said the government was preparing a
five-year action plan to tackle drought-like situation.
"A committee has been constituted under the chairmanship
of the APC to prepare the five-year plan", Rout said.
The minister said the farmers would be given financial
assistance from the special relief commission (SRC)`s fund.
Bureau Report
