Samajwadi Party State president Rabi Behera on Tuesday requested Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to provide assistances to farmers who have lost crops due to untimely rains.
“Crops in many parts of the State have been damaged due to untimely rains occurred during the last three days. This has only added to the woes of the farmers who have already been hit by the drought. They need to be compensated adequately,” Behera said in a letter to the Chief Minister. Behera requested that certain combative steps be taken besides payment of compensation to farmers so that they would recover from the troubled situation. He said most of the districts are witnessing drizzles and the situation would continue till December 24 as per weatherman’s prediction. By now, paddy and many vegetable crops have been damaged, he mentioned in the letter. Behera too urged the Chief Minister to instruct district Collectors to assess crop loss due to untimely rains and Agriculture Department to compensate vegetable growers.