Tihidi: Even as thousands of farmers had been badly affected by cyclone Fani in Tihidi block of Bhadrak, sunflower farmers in the block have not yet received their compensations. The affected farmers have taken up the issue with the tehsildar.
According to reports, the tehsil administration and the agriculture department had identified 228 farmers whose sunflower cultivation was badly hit by Fani May 3, 2019.
The state government had announced compensations for paddy farmers. The affected farmers were entitled for subsidy under direct benefit transfer (DBT) system. The agriculture department had later provided quality seeds of sunflower, potato, groundnut and tomato to farmers, besides fertiliser.
Sadly, sunflower farmers of Tihidi were left out of the compensation package for a technical reason.
The sunflower cultivators had strongly opposed it. On investigation, it was learnt that officials had wrongly submitted the assessment report of the agriculture department to the government whereas the report of the horticulture department should have been given instead.
By that time, the compensation amount provided by the government could not be delivered, farmers alleged.
PNN