Naveen Patnaik announces Rs900 crore package for rain-hit farmers

Orissa government today announced a Rs900-crore package for farmers whose crops were hit by cyclonic depression-induced unseasonal rain in around 12 lakh hectare in the state.

The announcement was made by chief minister Naveen Patnaik in the assembly.

He said farmers were "badly affected" due to heavy spell of unseasonal rain from December 6 to 13.

Patnaik said the state government had decided to assist farmers who suffered crop loss of more than 50% due to the heavy unseasonal cyclonic rains with an ex-gratia of Rs2,000 per hectare.

The state government would spend Rs240 crore towards ex-gratia assistance to farmers, he said.

"This is over and above the agricultural input subsidy (AIS)," Patnaik said adding AIS at the rate of Rs2,000 per hectare for rainfed areas, Rs4,000 per hectare for irrigated land and Rs6,000 per hectare for perennial crops would be provided as per the norms of the Calamity Relif Fund (CRF) and State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF).

Of the Rs900 crore, the state government would have to take the burden of Rs 600 crore while central fund worth Rs 300 crore would come from CRF, revenue and disaster management minister SN Patro said.