From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network

Bengaluru, Jun 10: The Central Fact-Finding Study Team, which toured different districts of Karnataka, following the extensive crop damages suffered by State’s farmers to standing agricultural crops as well as horticultural crops due to untimely rains accompanied by hailstorm in in the months of April and May seem to have been ``100 % convinced’’ of the gravity of the situation.

“We have submitted a revised estimate of the damages to both agricultural and horticultural crops and have done our best to explain the serious situation,’’ said Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra and Agriculture Minister C Krishna Byre Gowda after a two-hour-long discussion with the Central fact-finding team.

The crop damages in the 11 districts of the State during the months of April and May have been estimated to be around Rs 711.20 crore.

The State Government presented a revised memorandum on the crop loss to a Central team headed by R B Sinha, Joint Secretary, Union Department of Agriculture and Co-operation, which winded up the three-day tour to the State on Wednesday.

Jayachandra and Krishna Byre Gowda were accompanied by Karnataka’s Horticulture Minister Shyamanur Shivashankarappa during the discussion.

The State was expecting a relief of Rs 151.23 crore from the Centre under the State Disaster Response Fund for providing compensation to farmers who had lost crops.

“The short spell of hailstorm and strong winds has caused intensive damages to both agriculture and horticulture crops spread over 1.05 lakh hectares in 11 districts,’’ the memorandum said.

The Central study team members toured Kalaburagi, Raichur, Ballari, Bidar, Chikballapur, Kolar and Bengaluru Rural districts to assess the crop damage,

The Central study team obtained the more details from the ministers and senior officials of various departments, who were present during the discussion held in Vidhana Soudha.

Jayachandra and Krishna Byre Gowda, who spoke to reporters after meeting the Central Study Team members, said the team was expected to submit a detailed report to the Union Agriculture Ministry soon.

“The team members are 100 per cent convinced. We requested early release of the relief fund," Jayachandra said.

The ministers said the State had already released Rs 219 crore to deputy commissioners for payment of the compensation to farmers who had lost/damaged paddy crop.

The compensation amount had been fixed at Rs 25,000 per hectare.