Betel crop hail-damaged in MP

Bhopal, Feb 22 (UNI) The betel crop in Madhya Pradesh's Katni district has been hail-damaged and the state government would address shortcomings in compensating farmers, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced in the Assembly today.

Intervening during a discussion on a call attention notice on the issue, moved by Mr Nishit Patel (Congress) and Ms Saroj Bachchan Nayak (Janata Dal-United), the Chief Minister said that the government had already raised the compensation to Rs 12,000 per hectare.

Responding to opposition members' contention that the compensation rate was fixed at one per cent of the investment and there was no standard size of the plot, Mr Chouhan assured that the shortcomings would be addressed.

Earlier, Minister of State for Revenue Narayan Singh Kushwaha said, ''81 affected betel peasants of Umariapan Circle were sanctioned total assistance of Rs 88,500.'' If crop loss exceeded 50 per cent, it was stipulated to provide relief of Rs 20,000 per ha or Rs 500 per barrage.

Mr Patel and Ms Nayak, who moved the notice, said that the betel cultivators of Katni suffered considerable losses due to crop failure following heavy rain last year and due to hail early this month. The ryots were being compensated at Rs 15 per barrage and it was insufficient, they said, adding that betel growers hailing from the Chourasia community were facing hard times.

UNI