BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has decided to provide input subsidy to farmers affected in the recent cyclone Titli and subsequent floods in 17 districts of the State.Though the crop damage assessment has not been completed, initial estimate revealed that crops in over 2.73 lakh hectare in Gajapati, Ganjam, Kandhamal, Rayagada, Balasore, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khurda, Mayurbhanj, Nayagarh, Puri, Angul and Bhadrak districts have been damaged during the recent floods.
Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said the farmers who have sustained crop loss of 33 per cent or more are eligible for input subsidy as per the norms of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).He has asked collectors of 17 affected districts to take steps for assessment of damage to the crops and enumeration of farmers on a war-footing so that the input subsidy can be distributed immediately.“The collectors have been directed to submit their final assessment reports on crop damage along with the farmers’ enumeration figure by November 5.
Input subsidy for Titli hit farmers
Once we get the report, funds will be released immediately,” the SRC informed.
As per the norms, the farmers are eligible to get `13,500 per hectare for irrigated land, `6,800 per hectare for rain-fed and `18,000 per hectare for the land irrigated by perennial sources. Flash floods triggered by cyclone Titli had submerged large tracts of crop land ruining paddy, vegetable and cotton crops in the affected districts.
Even as the flood water has receded from the human habitations, standing paddy and vegetable crops remained inundated in Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Balasore, Bhadrak and Puri districts.Apart from the coastal districts, crops in thousands of acres in Rayagada, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Nayagarh and Angul districts have been washed out pouring cold waters on the hopes of a bumper harvest.
A farmer from Badahuma village of Rayagada, Bharat Chandra Behera said his vegetable and cotton crops in more than two acre of land have been completely damaged. “Along with the crops, my labour of several months have been washed out,” he said.Thousands of paddy farmers who have been badly affected due to flood are in trouble as many of them do not have funds to buy seeds again and restart the cultivation.
Govt relief
17 districts affected by Titli and subsequent floods
33 pc of crop loss or more eligible for subsidy
`13,500 per ha for irrigated land
`6,800 per ha for rain-fed land
`18,000 per ha for land irrigated by perennial sources