BJD demands package for drought-hit farmers

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the state government maintained that only eight districts are affected by drought, the farmers’ wing of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has demanded that a package should be announced for the affected cultivators as the situation is very severe in over half of the districts.Stating that almost all the districts have been affected badly by the drought, Biju Krushak Janata Dal (BKJD) president Golak Bihari Nayak said the need of the hour is to immediately declare a relief package for the farmers.The drought-hit farmers should be provided with fresh loan for taking up rabi crop, he said and added that assistance should be provided to buy certified seeds, fertilisers and diesel pump sets. Rabi seeds like groundnut, mung, biri, mustard and sunflower seeds should be supplied to farmers at a subsidised rate, he said.The BKJD demanded that the crop insurance scheme should be implemented by taking village as a unit instead of gram panchayat. Farmers should also be exempted from paying water cess and electricity charge for using lift irrigation points. The state government should waive school and college fees of the students of drought-affected villages and Centre should bear the burden of crop loan of the last kharif season, it added.Steps should be initiated for the payment of adequate compensation to the farmers in the drought-affected areas. Compensation for irrigated land should be Rs. 6000 a hectare while for non-irrigated land should be Rs. 3000, the BKJD said.