the goan I network
MARGAO
Will the beleaguered farmers from Salcete receive due compensation in lieu of the heavy losses caused by the destruction of standing paddy due to the recent rains, as preliminary estimates have pegged around 150 hectares of paddy was destroyed across the taluka.
Farmers in Maina and Curtorim, besides Loutolim, Seraulim and other villages are believed to have sustained heavy losses, but the moot question doing the rounds in Salcete’s countryside is whether the beleaguered farmers would get due compensation from the government.
Reason. The rules envisages compensation to the tune of Rs 25,000 for one hectare of paddy destroyed or damaged due to natural calamity. Officials, however, say that the yield per hectare is pegged around 5,000 kilograms, with a value estimated around Rs 1 lakh. “The compensation envisaged in the rules is far less than the actual losses sustained by the farmers. This anomaly has to be removed by the government if the farmers are to benefit by the compensation,” remarked an official.
In the meanwhile, the Zonal Agricultural Officers descended in the fields of Maina and Curtorim village to assess the damage caused to the standing paddy in these two areas, which is considered the granary of Salcete.
The agricultural officers led by ZAO Sandesh Raut Desai inspected the fields of Maina and Curtorim at the invitation of the Curtorim Sarpanch Rui Menezes and Zilla member Moreno Rebello along with Curtorim BMC Chairman J Santan Rodrigues, Bhavesh Zambaulikar, former Raia Sarpanch Xavier Fernandes, Anthony Barbosa and others.
In fact, preliminary assessment of the fields in both Maina and Curtorim revealed that around 30 hectares of standing paddy has been destroyed by the rains. The official has asked the farmers to apply for compensation under the farmers schemes by making a representation to the zonal office with photographs of the damaged paddy.
Agricultural officials told The Goan that around 150 hectares of standing paddy has been destroyed in Salcete’s countryside, including the villages of Maina, Curtorim, Loutolim and Seraulim. Sources in the know said around 50 per cent of the standing paddy at Loutolim has been destroyed by the recent rains.
