Dairy farmers from rural areas of the district who suffered huge losses following rabid dog attacks on their cattle are yet to get the compensation promised by the government though five months have passed after the incident.
Veterinary Department officials claim that the procedures to release the compensation by March end are under way. But many farmers complain that no one has even approached them to take stock of the actual loss or give any intimation regarding the compensation amount.
Paingattu Hassan of Poonath in Kottoor panchayat, who lost his four-year-old Vechur cow in a rabid dog attack in October, 2014, says he is hardly hopeful of getting a reasonable compensation as procedures are still lagging. “Even if the department selects me for compensation after all formalities, the amount is unlikely to be sufficient to meet the loss of this rare indigenous breed,” he says.
‘No intimation’
K. Rasheed, a dairy farmer from Meppayoor panchayat who lost two cows, says he is yet to get any formal intimation about submitting application for claiming compensation. “I have informally communicated the details of the loss to the local panchayat. In my area, several farmers are yet to get any information on the compensation package.”
Farmers in Naduvannur panchayat too are having a similar plight. Their requests for compensation are yet to get any positive feedback. “In my area, no farmer has got any assurance on financial assistance though declarations in this regard have been plenty for more than three months,” says C. Ammad, a farmer from the panchayat.
Presidents of local grama panchayats are yet to get any information on the number of applications so far processed for compensation. “A few farmers have received the claimed insurance amount. However, we have no idea about the applications forwarded to the government for the same,” says a grama panchayat president from the district.
When contacted, an officer from the Veterinary Department said the applications of all eligible farmers from the district had already been forwarded for clearance. “The compensation is likely to be released by the end of this month,” the officer says.
None has visited us to assess loss, complain farmers
Funds likely to be released this month: official