Bhubaneswar: Amid reports of at least five farmers dying unnaturally due to crop loss caused by unseasonal rains, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi is set to embark on a visit to several districts on Sunday to witness the condition of farmers.
Official sources said that the Chief Minister will visit Ganjam, Gajapati, and Nayagarh districts on Sunday. Majhi will inspect the paddy fields damaged by the rain in Ranapur of Nayagarh, Gosani of Gajapati, and Rangeilunda and Chhatrapur of Ganjam district.
The CM, who will be accompanied by Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Suresh Pujari, will also meet the affected farmers and ascertain their condition. Majhi is also slated to hold discussion with senior district officials during his visit.
Similarly, Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik is slated to undertake separate visits to different affected districts.
BJD sources said the former Chief Minister will be visiting different areas of Ganjam district on Monday to meet the farmers whose crops have suffered extensive damage due to unseasonal rain in the last eight days.
Naveen will visit affected areas in Ganjam’s Hinjili, Shergarh, Kabisuryanagar, Asika and Khalikot areas, which were affected by the heavy rain.
After Ganjam, Naveen is scheduled to visit Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada and Cuttack districts on December 31 to meet farmers and asses the crop damage due to unseasonal rains.
Apart from the CM, other Ministers will also visit various districts across the state to assess the crop loss caused by unseasonal rain. Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo will visit Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts, while Deputy CM Pravati Parida has been assigned the responsibility of Bhadrak and Balasore districts.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra will assess the damage in Kendrapada and Jajpur districts. Cooperation Minister Pradeep Bal Samanta will tour Khurda and inspect the crop losses due to unseasonal rain.
Amid reports of extensive damage to crops due to the rains, at least five farmers were stated to have died unnaturally following the loss. Reports of death of farmers have been received from Ganjam, Puri, Kendrapara and Jajpur districts.
According to Revenue and Disaster Minister Suresh Pujari, the government has asked the district collectors concerned to inquire into the allegations and submit a report soon.
The Chief Minister has stated that the government was making arrangements so that all the farmers, both insured and non-insured, get compensation following crop damage, an official said.
Majhi has instructed officials to complete the assessment of crop loss by December 30 and ensure that no affected farmer is left out.
