‘Declare areas hit by erratic rainfall as drought-hit’ FRIDAY, 04 NOVEMBER 2011 22:28 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 1 User Rating: / 0

‘Declare areas hit by erratic rainfall as drought-hit’
FRIDAY, 04 NOVEMBER 2011 22:28 SUDHIR MISHRA | BALANGIR HITS: 1
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Farmers of Puintala, Loisingha and Balangir blocks, led by former MP Balgopal Mishra and farmer leader Udayasingh Thakur, on Friday went around in a procession through the town and gheroed the district Collectorate, demanding all the areas of the State, which has been hit due to irregular rainfall and subsequent drought ,should be declared as drought affected .

Farmers of the district have suffered four times from the beginning of cultivation of paddy crop due to irregular rainfall, pointed out farmer leader Thakur. As a result paddy cultivation could not be taken up in many fields. And in those lands where paddy cultivation was not taken up through broadcasting method, transplanting could not be taken up in the paddy filed due to lack of rain. Further the rains in first week of September further destroyed the pulse crop also. Notwithstanding all this, the Government is yet to declare Balangir as drought hit, Thakur said further.

The demands are not about declaration of Balangir district as drought hit, but for the entire farmers of Odisha who have been affected by drought, said Balgopal Mishra

“The Revenue Minister announced in August that there is drought situation in 16 districts of the State and out of them six districts are badly affected. “In the Relief Code there is a provision that the Government can announce drought seeing the crop condition and necessary relief assistance can be given to farmers as per the relief code, immediately. Why the Government has not declared it as drought affected till today, it is surprising, said Mishra. In the present day Government farmer suicides are taking place on every two days,” he further alleged.

“We held this rally to draw the attention of Government to the plight of not only farmers of Balangir, but also of entire Odisha and we demand immediate declaration those parts suffering crop loss due to erratic rainfall as drought affected points out Balgopal Mishra further.

Addressing the gathering other farmer leaders criticised the anti farmers attitude of Naveen Patnaik Government and favouring the industry.

Later they submitted a 16point charter of demands to President of India through the Collector, which includes declaration of all those parts of the State , hit by drought, “as drought affected” and waiving of loan, early completion of irrigation projects in the districts which include Lower Suktel, Hariharjore ,hike in MSP of paddy to Rs 2, 000, and payment of Rs 20,000 as compensation to farmers towards the damaged caused by elephants within a month.