Rainfall due to Cyclone Jawad damaged crops badly in six South Bengal dists, says Min

Kolkata: Heavy rainfall due to Cyclone Jawad has led to heavy damage of crops in six South Bengal districts.

As per the preliminary reports received by the state Agriculture department, crops mainly potato was heavily damaged in Hooghly, East Burdwan, Bankura, Jhargram, East and West Midnapore.

District officials of the department have been directed to complete the assessment at the earliest.

In the wake of the damages caused to crops, the state

Agriculture minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay held a high-level meeting with

the senior officers of the department and the insurance company to ensure that

the farmers get the compensation for the damage at the earliest.

It needs a mention that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has introduced the Banglar Shasya Bima to help farmers get their yield insured.

In a bid to help the marginal farmers also to reap its benefit, the Bengal government also pays the premium on behalf of every beneficiary of the scheme.

The scheme has benefitted more than 18 lakh farmers as they have so far received Rs 416 crores as compensation for damages caused to crops during cyclone Yaas and flood in the month of August.

Agriculture minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay has also directed both the insurance company and the state government officers to properly campaign to create awareness among farmers about the compensation they are entitled to get for damages caused to their crops.