Unseasonal rains and hailstorms for the last three days have caused damage to standing crops, some of which are ready for harvest, in thousands of acres as well as paddy lying in the open in government procurement centres. Undivided Karimnagar, Warangal, Khammam, Nizamabad and Nalgonda districts were the worst-affected.

Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao on Sunday directed Chief Secretary A. Santhi Kumari to take up the assessment of the latest crop loss. The CM is likely to announce 10,000 per acre compensation to farmers after the district collectors submit their reports.

The CM had in mid-March conducted an aerial survey in Khammam, Warangal and Karimnagar districts to assess the crop damage after a spell of unseasonal rains.

The CM had announced a compensation of 10,000 per acre to all farmers including tenant farmers. He announced 228 crore compensation after officials initially assessed that the rains had damaged crops on 2.28 lakh acres.

However, the officials excluded 77,000 acres from payment of compensation after conducting field surveys, stating that the rain had damaged crops in 1.51 lakh acres belonging to 1,30,998 farmers. The government released 151 crore in compensation to farmers last week which will be credited into the bank accounts of farmers soon.

The agriculture department has stated that only farmers who suffered crop loss of 33 per cent and above were eligible to claim compensation. This resulted in the exclusion of 77,000 acres from compensation.

Source - https://www.deccanchronicle.com