Odisha fixes modalities for disbursal of agriculture input subsidy

The Odisha government on Thursday fixed modalities for distribution of agriculture input subsidy to farmers who sustained crop loss due to pest attack.

In a letter to the district collectors, Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) Bishnupada Sethi said agriculture input subsidy would be paid to the actual cultivators, including the sharecropper/lessee, based on field inquiry and verification.

A similar procedure shall be followed in case of deity land under cultivation by sharecroppers/lessees, he added.

In case of other privileged Rayats like widow and differentially-abled persons, agriculture input subsidy shall be paid to the Rayats.

In respect of land allotted under the Forest Rights Act, for which title has been issued, the cultivators shall be enumerated for payment of agriculture input subsidy.

"Government land under unauthorised occupation/encroachment shall not be taken into consideration for enumeration for payment of agriculture input subsidy," said the SRC.

He further said that all payments of agriculture input subsidy will be made through e-transfer to the bank/postal accounts of beneficiaries.

The government has also directed reconstitution of the village-level committees by including three members from sharecroppers category to hear objections, if any, on the list of affected farmers prepared by the district collectors and Agriculture department officials on crop loss assessment of individual farmers through visual estimation.

Meanwhile, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation would arrive in Odisha on a four-day visit, starting Friday.

Following the direction of BJP President Amit Shah, the team would review the crop loss status in districts like Nuapara, Balangir, Sonepur, Boudh, Ganjam and Nayagarh.

The team would visit the affected farmlands, said BJP Kisan Morcha's state secretary Surath Biswal.

--IANS

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