[In Pictures] Odisha CM Meets Farmers Who Suffered Crop Damage In Wintry Rains

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Majhi along with his cabinet colleagues visited Ranpur block in Odisha’s Nayagarh district on Sunday to assess crop damage in the wintry rains.

He was accompanied by Odisha Assembly Speaker and Ranpur MLA Surama Padhy and Revenue minister Suresh Pujari.

The CM also interacted with the farmers and assured them of all possible assistance.

He will also make a trip to Ganjam and Gajapati districts while deputy chief minister and Agriculture minister KV Singh Deo has been assigned to visit Cuttack and Jagatsingpur districts. Women and Child Development minister Pravati Parida will assess damage in Bhadrak and Balasore, Food Supply minister Krushna Chandra Patra in Kendrapada and Jajpur, and Cooperation minister Pradeep Bal Samant in Khurda district.

The unseasonal rains between December 20 and 26 have caused widespread damage to standing crops and harvested paddy.

The Odisha government has decided to provide assistance to all affected farmers, both insured and uninsured, as per the norms of the state and Centre. This support will be extended through direct benefit transfer (DBT). “I have directed officials concerned to ensure that no affected farmer is left out during assessment of damage irrespective of their coverage under crop insurance scheme. The government will decide the kind of compensation to be extended to farmers who have not registered under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), after getting the reports,” Majhi said after a review of crop damage at a high-level meeting on Saturday.

He has directed agriculture officials to submit an assessment report by December 30.

Over 1.26 lakh insured farmers have already reported their damages online under the PM Fasal Bima Yojana. The CM has appealed to all farmers, both insured and non-insured, to inform about the loss and damage to their crops through the ‘Krishi Rakhatha’ portal or by calling 14447.

CM In Nayagarh In Pictures