Kerala unpacks farmers' rain relief package before Centre steps in

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Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 26 The Kerala government has pulled up its socks in offloading the rain compensation package to paddy farmers, without waiting for the helping hand from the Centre. The disbursement of the first tranche of the package will start in Kuttanad - the state's rice belt - from Thursday.

Even as a three-member Central team is slated to arrive in Kerala this week to assess crop damages, the Kerala government has announced assistance package, emphasising its intent to begin the disbursements rightaway.

"At first the disbursement will be to 500 paddy farmers in Kuttanad. Those in Thrissur will follow suit," Kerala farm minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran said.

The state Cabinet, which met on Wednesday, has decided on giving out Rs 10,000 per hectare as assistance to the paddy farmers who suffered complete crop loss. Early estimates are that 1.4 lakh tonne of paddy cultivated in 28,231 hectares were destroyed in the unseasonal rains, Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan told reporters.

About 40,826 farmers would be the immediate beneficiaries of the compensation. Harvest-ready paddy crop in 17,000 hectares were destroyed, according to official estimates.

District collectors are working out the extent of rain damages to other crops like cashew, pepper, banana and mango, the chief minister said.

Measures will be taken to arrange compensation for these too.

District collectors have been asked to prepare a report on damage to other crops as well in the rains such as mango, cashew, banana and pepper, the chief minister said adding steps would be taken to pay compensation to these farmers to, he said.