Bhubaneswar:
Odisha government on Thursday declared 17 of the state's 30 districts as drought-affected and announced a package for farmers and poor people. "The state government had received reports on possible loss of 50 per cent or more crops in 12,046 villages under 113 blocks, 100 wards under 25 urban local body areas spread over 17 districts," Revenue and Disaster Management Minister S N Patro announced in the assembly.
The announcement came a day after opposition Congress and BJP slammed the government over the alleged delay in providing assistance to the affected areas.
The drought-hit districts are Angul, Bargarh, Bhadrak, Bolangir, Boudh, Cuttack, Deogarh, Ganjam, Gajapati, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Koraput, Malkangiri, Nabarangpur, Nayagarh, Nuapada and Subarnapur.
Patro, however, said the state government would get the final crop cutting report from districts by January 15.
Farmers, having lost 50 per cent or more crops, are eligible for assistance as per the relief code, he said.
While marginal and small farmers in affected villages would get Rs 4,000 per hectare of irrigated land as agriculture input subsidy, the amount for non-irrigated land
had been fixed at Rs 2,000 per hectare, Patro said.