An eight-member Central team led by Pankaj Kunar, joint secretary, Union ministry of agriculture, will visit the areas of the state hit by unseasonal rains on Tuesday and assess the crop loss.
The team, which is on a four-day visit, will ascertain the extent of crop loss due to unseasonal rains in the state on the basis of which the Centre is expected to announce the compensation package for the affected farners.
Meanwhile, the state government is making efforts to take the team to 10 worst hit districts in the state which have suffered a huge crop loss.
After the four-day visit, the team is likely to have discussions on the issue with the top officials of the state government.
It may be noted that on last Thursday, the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had called on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and requested him to release funds amounting to Rs 2616.19 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund to assist the lives of the affected farmers of the state. Patnaik had also called on the Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar.
"During the last six months of the calendar year 2010, Orissa has faced a calamity of rare severity, affecting about 73 per cent of the villages in the state. Over 19000 hectares of the cropped area in the state have faced a crop loss of more than 50 per cent on account of the acute drought that occurred during August and September 2010 followed by unseasonal heavy rains in December”, Patnaik had said.
Pawar appreciated the concerns of the state and assured the state Chief Minister his full support.
