Actual cultivators to get benefit under pest attack package

The Odisha government today said the agriculture input subsidy will be paid to the actual cultivators affected due to pest attack across the state.
The actual cultivator included share croppers on field enquiry and verification, a letter issued to all the district collectors by special relief commissioner (SRC) B P Sethi said.
The SRC issued modalities for assessment of crop loss due to natural calamity and payment of agriculture input subsidy to the affected farmers on account of crop loss due to the pest attack across the state.
The letter said that the actual cultivator would get the benefit and not the land owners. However, if the land owners who are disabled persons and widows, may avail the agricultural input subsidy.

In respect of land alloted under Forest Rights Act, for which the title has been issued, the cultivators will be enumerated for payment of agriculture input subsidy.
However, the government land under unauthorised occupation/ encroachment shall not be taken into consideration for enumeration of payment of agriculture input subsidy, the letter said.

The SRC has also directed the collectors to make all payments of agriculture input subsidy through e-transfer to the bank/postal accounts of the beneficiaries.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced a special package for pest affected areas, Kharif crop of 2017.
The pest affected farmers will get agricultural input subsidy at the rate of Rs 6,800 per hectare and Rs 13,500 per hectare for rain-fed and irrigated land respectively.

About Rs 124 crore will be distributed among the pest affected farmers.