Kolkata: The state Agriculture department will provide compensation even to those farmers whose crops in the riverine areas popularly known as ‘char’ have been damaged in the recent natural calamity in North Bengal. “This is for the first time, under the instructions of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, even farmers who have done cultivation in the ‘char’ area of the river and have suffered damages, will be compensated. Our state government has a humanitarian face and we will ensure that every single farmer who have sustained losses due to the natural calamity is duly compensated,” said state Agriculture minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay after holding a virtual meeting with concerned officials of his department based in the eight North Bengal districts that have suffered agricultural damage due to very heavy rainfall on Saturday. The minister issued instructions for handing over seeds, like maize, pulses, mustard etc. as per respective choices to the farmers whose paddy cultivation has been affected, and the process has already started.
About 42 lakh farmers from these affected districts have already enrolled for Bangla Sashya Bima — the crop insurance scheme of the state government. The state will also offer assistance for the purchase of fertilizer for farmers, as there are a good number who have lost everything, including their residence, in thecalamity. Scientists from Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya (BCKV), has already visited some of the affected cultivation land and have collected samples for soil testing. Thousands of hectares of land, particularly in Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts, have been destroyed as rivers carrying heavy silt and dolomite overflowed their banks and inundated agricultural land. “Experts, through the soil test, will assess what crop can be cultivated in that particular land, and accordingly, we will extend assistance to the farmers,” said Chattopadhyay.