Thomas (Special correspondent)
Highlights of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s reply in the Legislative Assembly to the debate on floods and crop loss.
*A historic decision for the first time in the history of the state.
*A honest step in distribution of crop loss compensation.
*A sum of Rs968cr already disbursed for farmers with a total affected crop area of more than 10 lakh hectares.
*According to NDRF norms Rs6800 is the amount fixed for crop loss per hectare in dry land farming.
*This compensation is less.We intend to raise it.
*So, the state government has decided to pay an additional Rs6800 from its own exchequer.
*In effect Rs13600 is being paid as compensation for crop loss per hectare of dry land farming.
*Similarly Rs13500 has been fixed as compensation per hectare of crop loss for irrigated lands.
*But the state government has decided to pay an additional Rs11500, in effect offering a total compensation of Rs25000 per hectare.
*This will benefit farmers with total crop area of 12.69 lakh hectares.
*For horticultural crops Rs18,000 is being paid per acre.
*State government has decided to pay an additional Rs10000 per hectare, making it a total of Rs28000.
State government has taken this decision despite the economic hardship caused by the Covid pandemic. We are a pro-farmer government. The additional amount being paid would cost Rs12000cr for the exchequer, Bommai said.
The state government has decided for a considerable hike of crop loss compensation for farmers whose crops were affected during the recent spell of incessant rains and flooding,Chief Minister,Basavaraj Bommai said in the Legislative Assembly.
Replying to a debate on floods,he said Rs.969 Cr has been disbursed for over Rs.10 lakh affected farmers.
According to NDRF norms Rs.6800 has been fixed as compensation per hectare for crops in dryland farming.
State government would contribute another Rs.6800 offering a total compensation of Rs.13600 per hectare,the Chief Minister announced.
Similarly for crops in irrigated lands Rs.13,500 is the fixed amount and the state government has decided to contribute an additional Rs.11,500 to make it Rs.25,000.
For Horticultural crops Rs.18000 is the fixed amount and the state government would contribute an additional Rs10,000,thus paying Rs.28000 per hectare.
The decision would cost an additional expenditure of Rs.1200cr for state exchequer, Bommai said.
Compensation within 48 hours: First time in state’s history
In the past,about 10-15 districts along the river banks used to be affected by flooding. But this time almost the entire state has suffered losses.
Flooding and breach of tanks have been reported from even chronic drought prone districts like Kolar and Chiikkaballapur, Bommai said.
For the first time in the state’s history, compensation was disbursed within 48 hours of uploading the crop loss details in the App.
So far over 10 lakh farmers have received a total compensation of Rs969cr.Compensation is being paid for crop loss in about 12.69 lakh hectares in the state, the Chief Minister said.
Raitha Vidya Nidhi
“Our government has always been responsive to farmers’ problems from paying crop loss compensation to distribution of scholarships for farmers’ children.
Scholarships have been awarded for about 2.4 lakh PUC students under Raitha Vidya Nidhi scheme, he said.
