Karnataka - Bidar   

Farmers agitated over low crop-loss compensation

Staff Correspondent

Of the Rs. 17-crore relief, only Rs. 80 lakhs is for crop-loss compensation

Bidar: Bidar has received Rs. 17 crores as flood relief after water discharged from the Danegaon reservoir in Maharashtra damaged crops, roads and bridges across the district. Of this, only Rs. 80 lakhs is to be distributed as crop-loss compensation and the rest will be spent on restoring infrastructure.

Farmers' leaders have accused the Government of being insensitive to the problems faced by them. However, officials said that this is the result of the lack of a codified policy for relief and a few inflexible, traditional practices of decision makers. The Government is only bothered about the well-being of civil contractors, said Shankarappa Rayappa, spokesperson of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha. KRRS President Basavaraj Tambake said crop-loss compensation is very low. The Government has fixed the compensation amount at Rs. 1,000 a hectare of dry land, Rs. 2,000 a hectare for partly irrigated land, and Rs. 5,000 a hectare for fully irrigated land. He said that the method for fixing crop-loss compensation is unscientific. This method has led to low payment of compensation in Belgaum and Bagalkot districts.

Officials said that lack of a codified relief policy in the State, unlike in the north Indian States, is the cause of all confusion. However, Karnataka does not have a Relief Code.

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