BHUBANESWAR: The state government has decided to provide crop loss compensation through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to farmers affected by excess and deficit rainfall this season, said Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari on Tuesday.
The minister assured that no eligible farmer would be left out of the relief process. “District collectors have been directed to submit detailed crop damage reports along with names, addresses, land records and Aadhaar-linked bank account details of affected farmers to enable prompt disbursal of compensation,” Pujari said.
He said the district collectors have been asked to send damage reports at the earliest. “Reports from Balangir and Cuttack districts have already been received on Monday, while those from other affected districts are awaited,” the minister said.
He said compensation would be paid even if crops were damaged at the initial stage of cultivation. “Not a single affected household will be left out. Even if only one farmer in a block suffers crop loss, he or she will be eligible for compensation after verification,” Pujari said.
Under the existing state relief code managed through the SDRF, farmers who suffer crop losses of 33 per cent or more are eligible for agricultural input subsidy and relief assistance.
The minister said beneficiaries would not need to visit government offices to receive compensation. “After field verification, the compensation amount will be directly credited into the beneficiaries’ accounts through DBT,” he informed.
Pujari said the IMD had predicted less rainfall due to El Nino factors but heavy downpour and flash floods during the past week caused extensive damage to agricultural land in Balangir, Cuttack and several coastal districts.
In Cuttack district, paddy fields in Athagarh, Tigiria and Badamba blocks were submerged following heavy rain and flash floods. Breaches in embankments of the overflowing Sapua river inundated vast stretches of farmland. In Athagarh alone, nearly 7,000 hectare of cultivated land spread across 15 gram panchayats were reportedly damaged.
The minister said he has instructed the SRC to ensure early disbursal of compensation.