September 1, 2014
WB Govt compensates farmers as lack of rain affects aman paddy cultivation
State agriculture department has announcedworth Rs 14 crore compensation to farmers as cultivation of aman paddy (ricegrown in the wet season during June to November) was affected in Purulia andBankura districts due to lack of rain.
The decision for providing compensation tofarmers was taken during the visit of the state Agriculture Minister MrPurnendu Bose to Purulia district. He was accompanied by Principal Secretary ofagriculture department and Parliamentary Secretary (agriculture department) MrSubhasish Batabyal, who visited several blocks of Purulia and Bankura onFriday.
The minister said the state government willpay the affected farmers in several areas and will also help in cultivatingalternative farming. He also held a meeting with senior officials of theagriculture department, several panchayatpradhans, MLAs and asked them to encourage the farmers for alternativefarming. It has been learnt that deficit of rain in Purulia is above 22 percent and there was a rain deficit of 21 per cent in Bankura.
Paddy cultivation had targeted for morethan 3.86 lakh hectare of land in Bankura but above 2.95 lakh of land wascultivated for growing of aman paddy. Aman paddy cultivation had targeted for 2.72 lakh hectare of land inPurulia but above 1.78 lakh hectare of land was cultivated for sowing of amancrops.
