Ama Odisha News

Orissa Congress unit criticizes Naveen Patnaik Government for providing no compensation to rain-hit farmers so far but only blaming the Central Government.They ‘clarified’ that that the Union Government has acted upon the reports of the crop loss of the Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra Governments, which sent the reports immediately. Even an all-party delegation of Maharashtra visited New Delhi in the wake of the untimely rain to meet the Prime Minister and Agriculture Minister seeking assistance, they pointed out. On the other hand, they said, though the rain hit Odisha between December 6 to 10 last, the State Government chose to send the crop loss assessment report to the Centre only in the last week of December.Addressing a Press conference here, former Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang and former Ministers Nalini Kanta Mohanty and Niranjan Patnaik brushed aside the allegation of the State Government and BJD leaders that the UPA Government at the Centre has been neglecting the State in all respects, particularly in providing assistance for the farmers hit by untimely rain  ,The Congress leaders also questioned the mechanisms of the State Government in assessing the crop loss, stating that while the district Collectors had initially given a report of corp loss in 61 lakh hectares of cultivated areas, the figure was subsequently reduced to one-third, that is 12 lakh hectares.Demanding that the State Government compensate the farmers by formulating a special package with relaxed FAQ norms and more bonus to farmers, they warned that if the State Government does not provide any immediate relief to the farmers, there would be law and order situation keeping in view the farmers’ suicide and continued agitation. On the other hand, they said, though the rain hit Odisha between December 6 to 10 last, the State Government chose to send the crop loss assessment report to the Centre only in the last week of  December.