17 districts get drought tag

BHUBANESWAR: The State Government declared 17 of the 30 districts as drought-affected on Thursday. The announcement comes a day after Opposition Congress and BJP slammed the BJD Government for the alleged delay in providing assistance to the affected farmers. The decision was taken after receiving reports on possible crop loss of 50 per cent or more in 12,046 villages under 113 blocks and 100 wards under 25 urban local bodies in the 17 districts, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister SN Patro informed the Assembly.  The drought-hit districts are Angul, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Balangir, Boudh, Cuttack, Deogarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Nuapada and Sonepur. Patro, however, said the Government would not get the final crop cutting report from districts before January 15. Farmers who have lost crops of 50 per cent or more will be eligible for assistance as per the relief code. While small and marginal farmers in the affected villages will get Rs  4,000 per hectare of irrigated land as agriculture input subsidy, the amount for non-irrigated land had been fixed at Rs  2,000 per hectare, he said adding, the compensation would be given to actual cultivators.Farmers who have taken short-term loan will now be covered under medium-term loan and the interest rate for short-term loan will be applicable for the revised term loan. The Government has already announced 50 per cent rebate on water and land cess. The balance 50 per cent of the land cess will be collected next year without any interest, he said. Meanwhile, the Government has decided to distribute rice among the malnourished people in the affected areas, the Minister said.