Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Agriculture Department has cleared compensation claims for close to 3,000 farmers whose paddy crops were ravaged by the sudden, unseasonal showers that lashed the State in October soon after the monsoon retreated.
The post-Diwali downpour flattened mature paddy ready for harvest, plunging cultivators into heavy financial losses across multiple talukas.
According to Agriculture Director Sandeep Foldessai, 2,997 farmers will receive a total of ₹2.53 crore under the Shetkari Adhar Nidhi scheme. Field assessments confirmed that 577 hectares of paddy were damaged, with Bardez emerging as the worst-affected region.
In Bardez alone, crops spread over 200 hectares, belonging to 930 farmers, were destroyed. Officials reported widespread rotting of grain due to waterlogging and major hurdles in harvesting the flattened crop.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had earlier assured compensation for rain-related agricultural losses. Following his announcement, the department urged farmers to file claims with their respective Zonal Agriculture Offices. Teams then conducted spot inspections to verify the extent of damage, including claims from cultivators lacking formal agriculture cards.
Compensation has been fixed at ₹40,000 per hectare, capped at four hectares per farmer, enabling affected farmers to receive up to ₹1.6 lakh each.
Foldessai said the verification process was expedited to ensure that relief reaches farmers before the next agricultural season begins. While Bardez saw the most extensive destruction, officials noted that other talukas also reported considerable losses.
The department is now scrutinizing another 500-plus pending applications, with assurances that all eligible farmers will be compensated.
