Govt to compensate farmers of 6 districts who lost crops due to thunderstorms and rain

Cultivation in 1.54 lakh hectare land in six districts was affected due to thunderstorms in the past few weeks. Sources said that the state Agriculture department has carried out a study to assess the loss and the preliminary report in this connection was submitted to the department. The final report in this connection will be submitted within a week in which details of the monetary loss due to the natural calamity in agriculture will be mentioned. It is learnt that in the preliminary report it has been mentioned that agriculture in 64 blocks and 1,953 mouzas were affected due to thundershowers and rainfall. Mainly banana cultivation was affected by the bad weather. Huge quantities of vegetables were also damaged in many parts of the city. According to sources in the state Agriculture department, cultivation of boro jute was also affected due to the untimely rainfall.

The damage of crops in 1.54 lakh hectre area of land led to a huge loss, though the exact amount is yet to be assessed. Thus, the state government will be providing compensation to the affected farmers.

The district officials along with their counterparts in the state Agriculture department will be carrying out the assessment of the monetary loss. They have already visited those areas and undertook the necessary steps to extend support to the farmers. After the assessment is carried out, the district magistrates will be approaching the state government and see whether it is necessary to give compensation to any of the farmers or not. The six districts where crops were damaged are Nadia, South Dinajpur, East and West Burdwan, East and West Midnapore.

The most affected districts are East Burdwan and West Midnapore. Crops in around 23 and 13 blocks in East Burdwan and West Midnapore were affected. It may be recalled that the state government had given compensations to the farmers of Nadia and Murshidabad districts on whose lands wheat crops were burnt to check the spread of the wheat blast disease. Bengal is the only state in the country where the state government gives the premium for insurance of crops.