New Delhi: Cuttack MP Bhartruhari Mahtab (BJD) Friday urged the Union government to consider inclusion of damages caused to standing crops by pest under the category of natural calamity to help the farmers who lost their crops.
Raising the issue during the debate in the Lower House on the natural calamities in various parts of the country with special reference to cyclone Ockhi, Mahtab said, “The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has to look into the aspect of pest attack on fields.”
The MP also urged the Union government to extend the facility of crop loan to mid term loans in cases of calamities hitting the standing crops on the field. Mahtab said, “Greater indulgence is required from the government side when a standing crop is destroyed. So there is a need to provide adequate funding. I request that in cases of calamities, the crop loan should be turned into mid term loan so that the farmers are benefitted.”
Mahtab told the House that unseasonal rains in November due to depression over the Bay of Bengal had caused severe damages to the state. He said, “Standing crops suffered a jolt with more than 33 per cent in 4 lakh hectares of crop area of around 14,270 villages of 133 blocks in 19 districts have been affected due to the unseasonal rain.”
PNN
