Ganjam district sugarcane grower's association has threatened to launch an agitation claiming that most of its members hit by last year's cyclone Phailin are yet to receive crop damage assistance even a year after the calamity.

"Discontentment is growing among sugarcane growers as they are yet to be compensated for the crop loss," said vice president of the association Narayan Jena.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced a special package of Rs 4.28 crore for the affected sugarcane growers of the district.

The association held a meeting at Aska, about 40 km from here, on Sunday to discuss various problems faced by sugarcane growers. Former MP and president of the association D K Panda chaired the meeting, he said.

"We will soon meet the district administration and request it to release the special package announced by the chief minister," said general secretary of the association Samir Pradhan.

Sugarcane over 8,300 acre was damaged in Phailin, which hit Odisha coast on October 12, 2013. The association also demanded that the land on which sugarcane is grown should be treated as irrigated and damage assistance at the rate of Rs 8,000 a hectare provided to them. "Sugarcane can't be grown without irrigation facilities. Hence, these should be declared as irrigated land," added Pradhan.

Source - http://www.business-standard.com/