By TC News Desk
Agartala, 16th September 2024: The state government has initiated the process of depositing amounts ranging from Rs 1,000 to 1,48,379 bank accounts of farmers affected by the recent floods, with the aim to complete this within the week.
Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Apoorba Roy, announced during a press conference that the total expenditure for this initiative would be Rs 14 crore 83 lakh 79 thousand.
“This week, financial assistance will be provided to 45,248 farmers who have suffered losses in the cultivation of winter vegetables, betel nuts, fruits, and garden crops. Among them, 42,374 vegetable farmers will receive Rs 1,000 each, 897 fruit and garden farmers will receive Rs 2,000, and 1,977 affected betel nut farmers will receive Rs 2,950 for the repair of their betel leaf gardens,” said Roy.
He further explained that the state government has already allocated Rs 20 crore to the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare for interim relief. Of this, Rs 15 crore has been earmarked for the agriculture sector, while Rs 5 crore has been allocated for horticulture and garden crops. A total of 1,48,379 farmers have been affected by losses in kharif crop production due to the recent floods, with the total damage amounting to Rs 943 crore 59 lakh. Additionally, 7,929 organic crop cultivators have been impacted, with losses amounting to Rs 68 crore 80 lakh.
Roy highlighted that the total agricultural crop loss stands at Rs 1,284 crore 93 lakh, and 45,349 farmers involved in horticulture have been affected, with their losses estimated at Rs 712 crore 50 lakh 38 thousand. “Furthermore, 15,799 gardeners have suffered damage due to the accumulation of sand, gravel, silt, branches, wood, bamboo, and landslides, with the total loss in this regard amounting to Rs 69 crore 89 lakh 70 thousand,” he added.
