Orissa to pay compensation for crop loss in the flood

Bhubaneswar, Oct 1 (UNI) The Orissa government today decided to pay compensation to the farmers for the loss of crops they suffered during the current flood as per the calamity relief fund norm.

Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy told newspersons here that farmers of any village where the crop loss was more than 50 per cent would be entitled to get the compensation.

As per the norm the small and marginal farmers in rainfed areas would get a compensation of Rs 2000 per hectare, and Rs.4000 in irrigated areas while Rs 6000 per hectare in perennial land.

Big farmers would get assistance for a maximum of one acre of crop loss.

The details of the farmers affected in the flood are being worked out and the assistance would be provided soon, Mr.Tripathy said.

As per the preliminary assessment so far crops over 4.5 lakh hectares of land had been damaged in the state.

This was for the first time the compensation in cash to farmers as the CRF norm would be given to farmers all over the state.

Earlier, it was given only to farmers of Baragarha and Sonepur after the crop was damaged in hail storm.

The compensation amount would be paid to the farmers along with other benefits like house damage assistance,the Chief Secretary said.

Mr Tripathy said the government would announce a package for the rabi crop in a couple of days and input subsidy would be provided for the rabi crop for purchase of seeds and fertiliser.

The government, he said also decided to provide 1.30 lakh quintals of groundnut seeds, 7000 quintals of potato seeds to farmers and assured them to provide more seeds if needed.

In addition to it three lakh mini kits of vegetables costing Rs 75 each would be provided at a subsidised price of Rs 10 per kit to the flood affected farmers.

Meanwhile, the death toll in the current flood rose to 73 with Cuttack, one of the worst affected districts, reported 20 casualty the highest, followed by Kendrapara(15),Puri(8) and Jajpur(7).

Bhadrak and Kalahandi reported four deaths each,Angul,Bolangir, Rayagada three each, Khurda accounted for two deaths and Sambalpur and Keonjhar reported one each.

Mr Tripathy said so far more than 1.69 lakh houses were reported damaged, adding that the compensation would be paid after the multi disciplinary Committee constituted to enumerate the damage houses submited its report.

He said so far more than 500 sporadic cases of diahorrea were reported from different places of the state.Disinefection of wells, and pipe water system was going on.

Doctors and para medical staff were working in the affected areas and ready to face any situation.

Mr Tripathy said 95 per cent of 23,800 tubewells were disinfected and 187 of the 225 pipewater system affected by the flood were restored by the Rural Development department. The RD department also repaired 515 of the total 1203 breaches, he said.

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