Bhopal: Severe cold and frost has hit 30 districts in state and destroyed 1.72 lakh hectares of crops including chana, masoor, arhar and vegetables. Reacting promptly state government has started distributing RBC 6-4 compensation forms to the farmers.
Agriculture minister Sachin Yadav assured the farmers and tweeted that state government will provide compensation to frost hit farmers and they need not worry about vagaries of nature. Earlier, former CM Digvijay Singh advised the state government through a tweet saying, lot of harm has been caused to the crop because of severe cold in state. State government should conduct a survey immediately and provide relief to the farmers. Congress MLAs and ministers should rush to their constituencies and survey the crop loss.
Agriculture department sought a report from collectors of all districts after surveys of loss and has asked them to start distribution of the compensation of forms so that relief is provided at earliest. Principal secretary, agriculture welfare, Rajesh Rajora said that more than 30% crop loss has been reported from 30 districts where crops standing in 1.72 lakh hectare was affected. Happy part is that 22 districts have reported no crop loss due to frost.
Collectors of six districts Neemuch, Dewas, Burhanpur, Vidisha, Dhar and Indore has already ordered joint team survey as per RBC 6-4 norms, said Rajora. Collectors have been advised to provide compensation promptly. According to detailed report submitted to the agriculture department, 68,822 hectares of land sowed has suffered a loss to the tune of 10% and crops sown on 93,731 hectares suffered loss between 10-30%. Principal Secretary agriculture said that crop loss of more than 30% was reported from 10,210 hectares of land. Overall, loss due to frost caused added up to 1.72 lakh hectares. Rajora said that chana, masoor, arhar, matar and vegetables were the worst hit. Most of them are cash crops and farmers depend on them a lot. “Our efforts are that relief should reach to farmers as soon as possible,” said Rajora
