About 90% of farmers affected by drought in Bhopal are yet to receive compensation against crop losses. District administration admitted on Monday that just about 10% of the driought-hit farmers have actually been compensated in the district. On paper some 1.25 lakh farmers have been compensated in Bhopal district. Madhya Pradesh government announced a drought relief package worth Rs 86 crore for the district of which around Rs 78 crore has been deposited in co-operative banks, yet to be distributed among farmers. "We have asked farmers to open zero-balance accounts and claim relief money from the banks directly," said additional district magistrict (ADM) Vikas Singh. District administration's policy is a direct deviation from announcements of MP government that claimed to provide immediate disbursal of relief to farmers for affected crops, compensation and insurance money. There are an estimated 1,25,159 farmers in Bhopal district who applied for relief after one of the worst drought in years. Many of these farmers are debt-ridden. This Diwali, Madhya Pradesh announced a Rs 1,049 crore relief package for drought-hit farmers who suffered crop losses. Chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had earlier promised farmers that compensation amount would reach them by Diwali. Government instructed district collectors to deposit compensation in the bank accounts of affected farmers' through core banking system. "Tall claims of every person having a bank account has been exposed. Tehsildars could identify only 10% of beneficiaries having bank accounts. To show the government relief has been distributed the money has been transferred to about 34 co-operative bank branches in Bhopal," said a disgruntled farmer, seeking anonymity. Officials now claim all tehsildars have been asked to co-ordinate with the banks and ensure all drought-affected farmers get the relief money. An estimated 65% of farmers have bank accounts. Source - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com