BJP demands Ganjam district to be declared rain-hit

The Odisha unit of the BJP today demanded the entire Ganjam district to be declared as hit by unseasonal rains and also sought adequate compensation for farmers who suffered crop loss.
A BJP delegation, led by Ganjam district unit president Kanhu Charan Pati, submitted a memorandum listing the demands to the revenue divisional commissioner, southern division here.
A BJP team had yesterday visited different blocks of the district to assess the crop condition after the paddy crops were damaged by unseasonal rains.
"We found that paddy crops have been destroyed all over the district. The condition of the farmers is pathetic everywhere, said Pati.

The farmers in the district hasve been subjected to immense hardships of late. They suffered crop loss first due to drought and then from pest attack, particularly by the brown plant hopper (BPH), he said. Unseasonal rain has now lashed the district for over four days, which has added to their misery, Pati said.
The saffron party also sought waiver of all crop loans and incentive of at least Rs 500 per quintal on paddy, in addition to the minimum support price (MSP).

The BJP also demanded payment of at least Rs 10 lakh each as ex-gratia to the families of the farmers who have committed suicide owing to crop loss.

At least two farmers had committed suicide this month in the district, allegedly due to crop loss.
The Odisha government has been conducting a survey of the crop loss due to the unseasonal rain in the district.
"The exact damage will be known only after assessing the situation at the field level, said deputy director of agriculture, Ganjam, Manoj Behera.