The BJP on Wednesday criticised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s “half-hearted” announcement of the special package for the cyclone and flood-hit farmers.
Addressing mediapersons here, party State president KV Singh Deo said that without proper assessment of the damages and accurate listing of the affected villages, the Government’s announcement was like rubbing salt on the wounds of the injured.
He demanded that compensation should be paid at a rate Rs 15,000 instead of the announcement Rs 4,500 per hectare for rain-fed areas, Rs 30,000 in the place of Rs 9,000 for assured irrigation areas and Rs 45,000 against Rs 12,000 for perennial crop loss areas. The minimum assistance to the affected farmers should be Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 2,000 as announced. Even this would not cover the losses, said Singh Deo.
He also demanded zero-interest loans for the current season in the affected areas. The stand of the Government to conduct crop cutting experiment for claim settlement is ludicrous. The entire crop of the affected farmers should be included under crop insurance scheme, he demanded.
Farmers who have lost milch and draught animals (cow) should be assisted with an amount of Rs 25,000 for replacement of the animals. Adequate compensation should be provided to the fishermen who lost boats and nets instead of a meagre amount, he said.
The compensation to betel vine cultivators in Ganjam is woefully inadequate. This should be in line with the compensation that was given to the farmers in the Posco project areas.
The BJP demanded revision of the State Relief Code with inclusion of crops like Kewda and coconut, orchard, handloom and handicraft on a permanent basis.