The Hindu : Other States / Orissa News : Naveen announces package for farmers

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Thursday, Oct 29, 2009
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Naveen announces package for farmers

Special Correspondent

State Agriculture Production Commissioner submits report to government confirming crop loss

Paddy crop on 88,979 hectares in 12 districts affected
Five lakh farm ponds to be created

BHUBANESWAR: As alleged suicides by farmers due to crop loss and loan burden are being reported from different regions of the State, the Naveen Patnaik government on Wednesday announced financial assistance for farmers who suffered crop loss due to deficient rainfall and pest attack.

The farmers, who had suffered crop loss in non-irrigated land, would be paid a compensation of Rs. 2,000 per hectare. A sum of Rs. 4,000 per hectare would be paid to the farmers who had suffered crop loss in irrigated land.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced the compensation package for the farmers after State Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC) R. N. Senapati submitted a report to the government confirming crop loss due to scanty rainfall and pest attack in several districts in western parts of the State.

Long-term plan

The package and a long-term plan to increase the irrigation cover were announced after Mr. Patnaik discussed the problems facing the farmers at a high-level meeting at the State Secretariat.

Paddy crop on a total of 88,979 hectares in 12 districts of the State was affected due to pest attack, the government said.

The government announced that five lakh farm ponds would be created in the land belonging to small and marginal farmers in the next five years in the rain-fed areas where farmers were suffering crop loss in case of insufficient rainfall.

The government also announced that defunct lift irrigation points would be made functional on a war-footing.

Repairs to projects

Besides, measures would also be taken for repair of defunct minor irrigation projects across the State. A sum of Rs. 300 crores would be spent on the purpose this year, the government said.

The government further announced to take up a watershed development programme to create irrigation facility for eight lakh hectares of cultivable land over the next five years at a cost of Rs. 1,000 crores.

The Chief Minister also announced that a Secretary-level committee would be constituted to monitor the implementation of various schemes that were aimed at development of agriculture and benefit of the farmers at large.

Meanwhile, a fact-finding team, led by former High Court judge Chaudhury Pratap Keshari Mishra, visited Sambalpur district from where farmers’ suicides had been reported recently.

As many as eight farmers committed suicide allegedly due to crop loss and loan burden in the State this month.

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