Rain damage: Revised estimates bring down number of beneficiaries in erstwhile Medak

The fresh report will deny compensation to dozens of horticulture farmers whose names were in the first list.

Siddipet: The number of beneficiaries eligible for the crop loss compensation of Rs.10,000 per acre is going down in the erstwhile Medak district.

Following the untimely rains and hailstorms between March 17 and 21, crops were damaged to a huge extent. The State government on March 23 announced a compensation of Rs 10,000 per acre for farmers, asking officials to submit a report.

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Interestingly, the Siddipet Horticulture department announced on March 19 that horticulture crops were damaged on 703 acres, including mango orchards on 414 acres. However, the same officials have prepared a revised report now, stating that crops were damaged in just 260 acres including mango orchards in 172 acres and vegetable crops in 88 acres.

The fresh report will deny compensation to dozens of horticulture farmers whose names were in the first list.

Speaking to Telangana Today, Deputy Director, Horticulture, Siddipet, Suvarna, said they had carried out a careful enumeration to find out the exact figures. This would be sent to the State government seeking compensation for these farmers, she said.

On the other hand, Agriculture officials in Siddipet district put the crop loss at 1,794 acres on March 19. Sources in the department say that the number of acres would considerably go down after another round of “careful examination”. The report would be ready by Friday, they said.

Medak district officials have put the crop loss at 2,766 acres while Sangareddy officials have put it at 714 acres. However, the number of beneficiaries could go down considerably since the same method of a second round of examination would be followed, officials hinted.

A vegetable farmer from Chandlapur village of Chinnakodur mandal in Siddipet, Adepu Dattu, demanded that the government pay compensation to all farmers whose crops were damaged. Dattu said he had invested Rs.3 lakh on vegetable crops which were completely damaged due to the hailstorms.