December 28
Naveen Patnaik Announces Relief Package
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced a relief package of Rs 507 crore for farmers affected by the heavy rainfall caused due to cyclone Jawad which had hit Odisha coast on 4th & 5th December.
According to the package, small and marginal farmers who lost 33 per cent & above of their crops will be given Rs 6,800/- per hectare for rain-fed land while Rs 13,500 per hectare for irrigated areas.
The assistance for all season crops like mango, cashew, coconut and betel vine will be given Rs 18,000 per hectare.
Farmers will be given a minimum of Rs 2,000 as an Input subsidy for daily crop losses and Rs 1,000 for other crops.
12,000 quintals of Certified high quality seeds will be provided to farmers in the affected 12 districts at a discounted rate and now an additional 25 per cent of the rebate amount will be disbursed through DBT for 2021-22 Rabi Crops.
State government will also provide 50,000 mini kits of pulse seeds and 4 lakh pockets of vegetable seeds to the farmers free of cost.
About 1 lakh farmers will get aid at the rate of Rs 4,000 per 0.20 hectares for cultivation of hybrid vegetable crops.
Similarly, a subsidy of Rs 50 crore will be provided to the cyclone affected farmers through DBT for procurement of technical agriculture equipment, CMO Office said.
The affected farmers will be provided with 5,000 sprayers at a 50 per cent discount. A maximum of Rs 3,800 will be paid in the case of power spray and a maximum of Rs 750 in the case of hand spray.
Short-term loans in areas with 33 per cent or more crop losses will be converted into medium-term loans. Similarly, assistance will be provided by the financial institutions so that farmers can avail crop loans and agricultural loans at a convenient rate for the upcoming rabi season. Immediate steps will be taken to form a Joint Liability Group so that sharecroppers can get loans on a convenient basis during the Rabi season.
Steps will be taken to expedite the preparation of crop harvest reports for settlement of claims of the affected farmers covered under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), said the CMO, adding that short-term loans of farmers with 33 per cent and above crops damage in affected areas will be converted into medium-term loans.
