Crop burning heat on Collectors

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government on Thursday asked the Collectors of eight districts to submit reports on the quantum of crop loss within two days as farmers in different areas set fire to their farm fields after failing to save their crop from pest attack.

Revenue and Disaster Management Department issued the direction after a farmer in Bargarh district allegedly committed suicide on Wednesday for crop loss due to pest attack. Reports of farmers setting their fields on fire have been received from Bargarh, Sambalpur, Jharsuguda, Rayagada and Ganjam districts.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Damodar Rout said the State Government is prepared to provide assistance to the affected farmers under the State Disaster Fund. The farmers sustaining more than 33 per cent crop loss will be provided assistance, he said.

The State Government asked the Collectors of Bargarh, Balangir, Ganjam, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nuapada, Sambalpur and Sonepur to submit reports on the quantum of crop loss due to the pest attack. In a letter, Additional Relief Commissioner Mihir Chand Mallick asked the district authorities to conduct joint field verification through the field functionaries of revenue and disaster management, agriculture and farmer empowerment departments.

The Collectors were asked to submit reports along with detailed information about the area under crop loss to the extent of 33 per cent and above to the department within two days. The letter said senior officers of the district should supervise the exercise and verify the report to ensure that correct data reaches the Government.

The State Government on Thursday said stringent action will be taken if substandard pesticides were sold to the farmers.

Secretary in the Agriculture Department Sourav Garg said teams have been engaged to verify the pesticides available in the markets of Bargarh district.Meanwhile, Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram launched a scathing attack on the State Government for failing to extend support to the farmers. Alleging that the State Government did not pay any heed though farmers have been complaining of low quality pesticides for the last three months, Oram said the farmers are setting their crops on fire in despair.