JAGATSINGHPUR: Seven months after floods caused massive damage to areas in Jagatsinghpur district, farmers are awaiting compensation for their losses reportedly due to delay in submission of records by block and revenue officials. The records are mandatory for sanction of funds in case of natural calamities.
Standing paddy crops were damaged in the months of July and August last year in Jagatsinghpur, Raghunathpur, Biridi, Balikuda, Naugaon, Erasama, Tirtol and Kujang blocks of the district.
As per a survey conducted by the Agriculture department to assess the loss in eight blocks, crops on 26,184 hectare of land were affected.
Later, another survey was carried out by the department along with revenue officials and it revealed that crops on 19,125 hectare of land were affected.
As per the relief code of Special Relief Commissioner, farmers who suffer over 33 per cent loss are entitled to get Rs 13,500 as compensation per hectare.
Similarly, the compensation for crop loss on rain-fed land was fixed at Rs 6,800 per hectare.
However, after seven months, the revenue officials are yet to finalise the case records. Sources said officials of a few blocks have not even prepared the list of beneficiaries yet.
In Jagatsinghpur block, 93 hectare of land was affected and the loss is estimated at Rs 12.55 lakh.
Similarly, in Balikuda, 513 hectare of land was affected and loss estimated at Rs 48.20 lakh, in Erasama, 597 hectare faced crop loss estimated at Rs 40.62 lakh, in Kujang, 845 hectare of land was affected with loss estimated at Rs 58.22 lakh.
In Biridi, Raghunathpur and Naugaon blocks, the process of identification of beneficiaries and the compensation amount they are eligible for, is yet to be completed.
Erasama tehsildar Chittaranjan Mahanta said fund for compensating 1,819 affected farmers, was received recently.
Collector Sangram Keshari Mohapatra said tehsildars of Biridi, Naugaon and Raghunathpur are yet to submit the records.
He said the administration has asked them to complete the process of identification of beneficiaries so that the affected farmers can be compensated at the earliest.