Pest menace: State may declare financial package for farmers today

Bhubaneswar: A compensation package for farmers suffering crop loss due to pest attack is likely to be announced by the State government today. The Agriculture Cabinet, which is scheduled to meet this afternoon under chairmanship of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, is likely to make the announcement.

Besides, the meeting will also discuss in detail about losses incurred by farmers in the State due to the pest attack.

On Sunday, the State government agreed that pest attack is a natural calamity and said affected farmers will be compensated as per relief code.

According to the input subsidy provisions for farmers, Rs 6,800 per hectare aid will be disbursed for non-irrigated farm land and Rs 13,500 assistance for irrigated farm land.

Development Commissioner R. Balakrishnan yesterday reviewed the situation through video conferencing with district collectors at the State Secretariat.

Balakrishnan told media persons, "The collectors have been asked to intensify awareness drives with involvement of revenue personnel, self help groups and other grassroots level workers."

The State government has already directed for disbursal of assistance for rabi crops and at present there is no need for farmers to panic, he added.

Crops in nearly 1, 78,932 hectares of agricultural land have been affected by pest menace in nine districts in Odisha.

As per the Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) statistics, standing crops in 8,211 villages of 92 blocks and 19 urban local bodies have been affected by the pests in Bargarh, Sambalpur, Nuapada, Sonepur, Bolangir, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Koraput and Bhadrak.