Kerala - Alappuzha   

Aid: Centre urged to match State

Mullakkara Ratnakaran

ALAPPUZHA: Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran has called upon the Union government to match the State government in providing succour to rain-hit paddy farmers in the State.

Inaugurating the disbursal of compensation from the interim relief of Rs.12 crore announced by the State government at the Rice Research Centre, Mankombu, near here, on Thursday, Mr. Ratnakaran said the State government had transcended boundaries set by the Centre’s Calamity Relief norms by fixing a compensation of Rs.10,000 per hectare while that offered by the Centre was Rs.1,500 per hectare.

The Kerala government had also set an example by distributing the compensation within two weeks of the calamity. The State government, Mr. Ratnakaran said, had intervened in the crisis on time and acted fast so that the farmers did not feel let down.

The kind of compensation offered by the government was necessary to instil some confidence in the minds of the farmers, who were at a complete loss after the totally unexpected summer rain dealt a huge blow to the State’s expectations of a bumper 65,000 metric tonne yield this ‘puncha’ season, he said.

Announcing that the State government had set aside Rs.4 crore for Kerala Agro Industries Corporation Limited (KAICO) to purchase combine harvester machines, Mr. Ratnakaran said on the other hand, the Centre’s approach to Kerala’s woes was disheartening.

The recent order banning export of rice from Kochi to other countries had hit paddy farmers and the State’s business interests hard, he said.

The Centre should, therefore, act without delay and not confine itself to norms while helping Kerala, he said, adding that the State government was closely watching weather changes and studies on the climatic conditions that caused the unexpected summer rain.

Mr. Ratnakaran expressed concern over the accuracy of the loss figures that would be recorded by the Central team that would inspect rain-hit regions from Friday.

The State had asked for assistance on March 17, however, it was after 11 days that a team was reaching the State.

Around 100 farmers from Ambalappuzha, Haripad, Alappuzha and Kuttanad were distributed a total compensation of Rs. 6 lakh on Thursday.

While six farmers were handed over cheques at the venue, respective Krishi Bhavans disbursed the rest.

Coir Minister G. Sudhakaran, C.S. Sujatha and K.S. Manoj, MPs, Thomas Chandy, K.K. Shaju, C.K. Sadashivan and B. Babu Prasad, MLAs, CPI(M) district secretary P.K. Chandranandan and officials from the Agriculture and Revenue departments were present.

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