Jammu, Oct 10: Special Girdawari (survey) conducted by the state government in 18-districts of Jammu and Kashmir to assess the crop damages due to long dry spells during 2007-09 period has been put to the tune of Rs 211.28 crore.
Though this year rainfall was in excess, but most of the farmers in the state have not been able to overcome the losses accumulated during the worst two years of long dry spells.
Sources said that Omar Abdullah led government has put a demand of Rs 211 crore before the Centre to meet the compensation expenses. The demand for the special funds has been put under disaster management quota and the state government is hopeful that the Centre will release the grant very soon.
Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Raman Bhalla said, “Comprehensive relief package was formulated after conducting special Girdawari in all the areas and the losses have been worked out through joint departmental teams under the supervision of concerned Deputy Commissioners and Tehsildars”.
He said, “We were ourselves surprised by the extent of losses suffered by the farmers”.
Officials said that while state has submitted the report, the central government is yet to release the funds thus delaying the disbursement of relief to the affected farmers.
It is pertinent to mention here that the so far, as per the official records, J&K government has disbursed  a relief of Rs. 70.45 crore to the  farmers whose kharief crops was damaged during 2009 dry spell.  This amount was kept under the disposal of Divisional Commissioners, Kashmir and Jammu.
The relief was to be provided in the shape of    free of cost ration  at the rate of 35kgs per family per month for three months.
“We are hopeful that the funds will be released as the central team also visited the State and assessed on-the-spot losses of all the draught hit areas in the State and the report is lying with the Central Government”, Bhalla said.
“Losses   were severe and thousands of hectors of standing crops were destroyed due to the drought. It was worst ever draught like situation after Independence” said a farmer leader Tejinder Singh Tony. Officials said that scanty rainfall during 2007, 2008 and 2009 adversely affected the agriculture sector in all the three regions of the state, the main reason for the dip in the growth rate witnessed in the state adding that this come in addition to the pressured already put by the global meltdown.
During the 11th Five year plan (2007-12), the state government has set a target of maintaining growth rate of eight per cent but due to the inherent weakness of the state’s economy and other factors, it has not been able to maintain the growth.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Oct 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 10 Oct 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 11 Oct 2010 00:00:00 IST