The Hindu : Front Page : Idukki, Wayanad to be declared disaster-hit

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007
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Idukki, Wayanad to be declared disaster-hit

Special Correspondent

P.K. Abdul Ghafoor, Chairman, Farmers' Debt Relief Commission

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Farmers' Debt Relief Commission constituted by the State Government is all set to recommend declaration of Idukki and Wayanad as `disaster-hit' districts.

Commission chairperson P.K. Abdul Ghafoor and members M.C. Nair and M.J. Jacob told a news conference here on Tuesday that they had taken evidence from farmers and other persons concerned in Idukki and Wayanad districts earlier this month and would submit their report to the Government by mid-June. The Commission would take evidence from experts at the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) and State Planning Board and officials of the Department of Economics and Statistics, Spices Board and NABARD here on Wednesday. Under the law enacted by the State Assembly, it is for the Government to declare a district as disaster-hit, they said.

The Commission chairperson said it had found that the debt crisis in the two districts was due mainly to the quick wilt that had laid waste pepper cultivation in the district, import of cheap pepper from Sri Lanka under SAFTA, the setback suffered by coffee, climatic changes and poor water retention in the areas under pepper cultivation.

Most of the farmer suicides were on account of debt. By official estimates, 91 farmers had committed suicide in Idukki whereas unofficial figures put it at 141. There was similar divergence in official and unofficial figures in Wayand too, he pointed out.

Justice Ghafoor said the Commission said that once a district is declared disaster-hit, farmers in the district would become eligible to apply for debt relief.

The request must be made in prescribed application forms, which would be made available through Krishi Bhavans and panchayat offices. The applications should be in triplicate.

Applications relating to loans from multiple sources can also be submitted, but each such application should be in triplicate. The applicants need not affix any court fee stamp. Only persons who own less than four acres of land, who have farming as their primary vocation and an annual income not exceeding Rs. 2 lakh, would be eligible under the Debt Relief Scheme.

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