Odisha won't compensate farmers who set crops on fire

Odisha Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout on Saturday said the distressed farmers who are setting pest-affected crops on fire will not be eligible for compensation.

He also suspected political conspiracy behind burning of crops to embarrass the government.

"How can they be given compensation? If there will be no crop in the fields, how would officials estimate the loss," asked Rout.

The minister made it clear that the farmers, who have suffered more than 33 per cent of crop loss in the Kharif season, will be compensated as per the relief code.

Rout said an investigation would be carried out to ascertain the cause behind crop burning and farmer suicides.

"Certain unscrupulous elements with political agenda have been hatching this plot of crop burning in a bid to put the state government in trouble... It is unprecedented, never happened before. Why are they torching paddy in the fields?" said the minister.

Rout, who held a review meeting with senior officials of the departments concerned at the state secretariat here, said 1.10 lakh hectares of paddy-cultivated land was affected by pests while 34,619 hectare was badly affected.

"The agriculture officials are assessing the situation by getting in touch with the farmers. The reason behind the pest attack is being examined by our agricultural scientists," said the minister.

He also assured the action would be taken against the persons involved in selling or providing pesticides, which are not as per the standards.

--IANS

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