Relief goes up for Karnataka's rain-hit pucca houses, crops

Revised guidelines take effect retrospectively on March 1

The compensation amount to be paid to families for damaged houses and crops on account of heavy rain during the monsoon (2013) in the State has been increased.

Compensation for repair/restoration of fully damaged pucca houses has been increased from Rs. 35,000 per unit to Rs. 70,000 under the revised norms of assistance from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF).

Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Home Affairs (Disaster Management Division) Goutam Ghosh has, in a circular to the Chief Secretary and the Secretary of the Revenue Department, directed the State government to give retrospective effect to the revised guidelines from March 1, 2013.

Heavy rain damaged 8,230 houses. Standing crops in 99,074 hectares and horticulture crops in 1.16 lakh hectares of land were damaged.

According to officials in the Revenue Department, compensation for fully damaged kutcha houses has not been increased and it stood at Rs. 15,000 per house. Compensation for severely damaged pucca houses and kutcha houses also remained unchanged and stands at Rs. 6,300 and Rs. 3,200 per house, respectively. The compensation for damaged/destroyed huts stands at Rs. 2,500 per unit.

Crops

Compensation norms have been revised upwards for small and marginal farmers who lost crops due to heavy floods in various districts. The amount has been increased from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,500 per hectare for agriculture and horticulture crops and annual plantation crops in rain-fed areas. However, it has been restricted to sown areas.

In irrigated areas, the amount has increased from Rs. 6,000 to Rs. 9,000 per hectare, subject to minimum assistance not less than Rs. 7,500, and has been restricted to sown areas.

For perennial crops, compensation has been increased from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 12,000 per hectare, subject to minimum assistance not less than Rs. 1,500 and restricted to sown areas.

There are no changes with regard to damage to sericulture crop and the sum stands at Rs. 3,200 per hectare for eri, mulberry and Tussar varieties and Rs. 4,500 per hectare for Muga.

For providing fodder, feeds, water supply and medicines in cattle camps, the amount has been revised from Rs. 32 to Rs. 50 a day for large animals and Rs. 16 to Rs. 25 for small animals. The period for providing relief would be as per the assessment of the State Executive Committee and the Central team in case of NDRF.

Damage to standing crops, houses and infrastructure on account of rain has been put at Rs. 2,470.17 crore.

A Central team, headed by R.K. Srivastava, joint secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, visited the State last month and assessed the damage. The Union government is yet to announce the compensation amount meant for the State.