Rs 732 mn towards Bihar victims: Prachanda

Kathmandu, Sep 4: A proposal of Rs 732 million plan for rehabilitation and relief for farmers affected by the Kosi floods has been declared by the Nepal Ministry of Agriculture. The proposal, which was submitted to Prime Minister Prachanda, includes immediate, middle and long-term programmes for the benefit of flood victims mainly farmers in ten village development committees of Sunsari district.

Kantipur quoted Agriculture ministry spokesperson Dr Hari Dahal as saying that Ministry had demanded Rs 732 million in the proposal for short, middle and long-term programs for farmers of the area. The immediate relief programs aim at distribution of medicine for cattle, sanitary materials and fingerlings, supported for vegetable farming on riverbanks destroyed by the floods, reconstruction of irrigation canals, installation of shallow tube-wells and soil testing.

The ministry also plans to set up Community Service Centers with seed money of Rs 10 million to enhance the skills of farmers in dealing with disease, farming methods, and exploring markets for agro products.

Special arrangements are proposed to be made to collect milk from the affected areas through the Dairy Development Corporation to prevent thousands of liters of milk going to waste every day.

According to the ministry, over 6,800 heads of cattle have perished in the past two weeks, which amounts to a loss of Rs 13.2 million. Around 80,000 liters of milk is going waste each day due to lack of access to markets.

The flood wiped out standing crops including paddy, banana, sugarcane, juteand fisheries on more than 5,300 hectares of land causing a loss of more than Rs 300 million in the district.

ANI