Farmers who interacted with the three-member Central team sent to assess damage caused to crops due to the recent untimely rain and hail storm said they felt the compensation announced was too meagre to cover losses.
The farmers said they had incurred an expenditure of around Rs. a lakh per hectare to cultivate paddy, but the compensation announced was Rs. 25,000 per hectare.
The team, led by R.B. Sinha, Joint Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation (DAC), along with two other members, Anil Pratap Singh, Additional Commissioner, DAC; and S.K. Rajendra, Deputy Director, Ministry of Power, visited sites in Ballari and Koppal districts to assess the damage caused. Farmers in Tekkalakota in Sirguppa taluk told the team that the extent of damage caused to paddy was much more than what had been assessed by officials of the Revenue and Agricultural departments. They sought a resurvey so that more number of farmers could be covered. When Mr. Singh pointed out that the farmers would be getting crop insurance, Darur Purushotam Gouda, president of the district unit of Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha , said that most of the farmers would not get the benefit as they were cultivating the land on lease.
K.C. Kondaiah, former MP and MLC, submitted a memorandum to the team. “I request you to help the farmers to the maximum possible extent,” he said.
In Gangavati taluk in Koppal district, the farmers narrated their plight when ready-to-harvest standing paddy crop was severely damaged and sought higher compensation.
Karadi Sanganna, MP, requested the team to consider the crop loss as a special case and recommend the release of at least Rs. 200 crore as special additional grants.
