Bhubaneswar, Dec 22: The Mohan Charan Majhi-led government has directed the Collectors of districts affected due to the recent unseasonal rainfall in Odisha to carry out proper assessment of the damages to crops, Revenue and Disaster Management minister Suresh Pujari said on Sunday.

Speaking to media persons, Revenue Minister Pujari said: "The Collectors have been instructed to carry out the proper assessment of crop loss due to the unseasonal rainfall. The assessment couldn’t be carried out properly due to rainfall which continued till yesterday.

"The revenue officials- Tehsildars, Revenue Inspectors, Amins- from the unaffected areas have also been roped in to do assessment of the loss in the affected areas of the state. The assessment will be conducted accurately after the rain subsides."

Pujari assured the farmers that the state government will provide adequate compensation for the crop loss and also extend help for the sale of the remaining crops. The Revenue Minister stated that he would personally visit the affected areas, if needed.

Meanwhile, the state government has urged the farmers who are insured their Kharif crops under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (Kharif -2024) to report about the crop loss due to the unseasonal rainfall to avail the insurance compensation.

As per a press statement of the state government, the harvested crops of farmers in many coastal and interior districts -- Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Boudh, Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Deogarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Kandhamal, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Khordha, Koraput, Mayurbhanj, Nawrangpur, Nayagarh, Puri and Raygada, would have been damaged due to the unseasonal rainfall over the last two days.

"About 15 lakh farmers from these districts have been enrolled under the scheme. The farmers who have insured their Kharif crops under PMFBY (Kharif -2024) are required to report loss of their harvested crops for claiming insurance compensation," the statement read.

The farmers have been advised to upload the information on crop loss using “Krishi Rakshak” App within 72 hours of the crop loss or inform through the help line No 14447.

The state government further said that the post-harvest loss is covered under PMFBY - Crop Insurance Scheme, if the crop loss has occurred in cut & spread condition or in small bundled condition within 14 days of harvest.

The insurance compensation will be paid to the farmers after a joint survey of the affected fields by the officials of implementing insurance companies and government officers.

The compensation will be paid to insured farmers on the entire sum insured amount based on the loss.

--IANS

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