Compensation for crop loss hiked drastically, says Karnataka CM

KEY STORY

•  Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has said the government has decided to drastically hike compensation given to the farmers suffering crop losses due to floods. He was responding to various flood-related issues raised in the Legislative Assembly by members from different constituencies, which were badly hit by floods.

• Currently, the government was giving Rs 13500 compensation per hectare of crops in the irrigated lands which got damaged, said Bommai, adding that this compensation had been increased to Rs 25500 per hectare land. The compensation had been increased suddenly by Rs 11500 per hectare, said Bommai. For the crops sown and damaged in dry lands, Bommai said, the government had decided to double the current compensation of Rs 6800 per hectare land given to the affected farmers.

• In the floods that occured in the state, Bommai said, the crops sown in 12.69 hectare land got damaged and the government would deposit compensation of every affected farmer in his bank account. The government would have an additional burden of Rs 1200 crore with the fresh quantum of compensation fixed for crop loss. The government had been releasing Rs 18,000 per hectare for horticulture crops and the same had been freshly fixed at Rs 28,000 per hectare, said Bommai.

  Rs 926 crore crop loss compensation credited to farmers’ accounts: R Ashok

  BELAGAVI: Revenue Minister R Ashok informed the Assembly that Rs 926.43 crore has been credited directly to accounts of farmers who had been hit by recent calamity.

  Replying to the discussion on the crop loss and house damages due to incessant rains and flooding, the minister said, crop loss was reported in around 12.52 lakh hectares, so joint survey would be conducted to ensure disbursement of compensation at the earliest.

  The State government had submitted the memorandum to the Union government twice seeking financial help. Initially the Centre did seek Rs 841.57 crore and later for Rs 128.92 crore. The Central teams have already visited the calamity-hit areas twice and conducted the survey of the loss, he added.

  Detailing about the damaged houses, the minister said, 23,716 houses were damaged due to incessant rains and flooding and already released Rs 332.87 crore as the compensation. Five lakh rupees was being paid for completely collapsed houses, largely damaged houses have got Rs 3 lakh and that for partially damaged houses are getting Rs 50,000.

  Each acre of damaged coffee plantation have got Rs 18,000 and a total of Rs 38.80 crore has been disbursed as crop loss compensation, he said and added, human casualties reported during the calamity was 62 and that animal was 945. Damage was found in 3,306 bridges and 995 lakes used for minor irrigation.

  The Union government is expected to release Rs 5,270 crore under the 15th Finance Plan, but Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai has submitted seeking more funds to Centre, Ashok stated.