Manipur Agriculture Minister Th Bishwajit on Friday informed the House that the Agriculture department has conducted an assessment on the economic losses endured by the state in respect of paddy crops, responding to a starred question raised by MLA Surjakumar Okram.
The ongoing crisis in Manipur since May 3, 2023, has significantly impacted agricultural activities in the state, he said. The violence has prevented farmers from accessing their paddy fields, leading to severe repercussions on agricultural output, he mentioned.
During the question hour session in the state assembly, Agriculture Minister Th Bishwajit addressed concerns regarding the extent of damage caused.
According to the assessment conducted by the state department of Agriculture, approximately 5127 hectares of agricultural land have been affected. The total loss in paddy crops amounts to 15,437 metric tons, valued around Rs 38.6 crore, he mentioned.
Responding to queries from MLA Surjakumar Okram, Agriculture Minister Th Bishwajit revealed that 5,901 farmers have been adversely affected, as reported by the deputy commissioners of the affected regions.
Out of these, 3,483 farmers have been recommended for compensation totaling Rs 18.37 crore in the initial phase. The Home department sanctioned funds for these affected farmers on February 21, 2024, he added.
He further informed that verification processes are underway by the Deputy Commissioners at the district level for the remaining 2,399 affected farmers. And also, 19 farmers have been deemed ineligible for compensation due to various reasons, including delicacy in the verification process.
Responding to a question raised by MLA Th Lokeshwar about the land record lost during the conflict, chief minister N Biren said that no land record has been lost, almost all records are digitised and anyone can claim their land record from the concerned office.
Responding to another question regarding PMGSY construction of road which was sanctioned on March 24, 2023, the RD and PR minister Y Khemchand said that out of Rs 301.48 crore sanctioned under PMGSY for road construction, Rs 100.00 crore have been release to contractors, while the remaining Rs 201.48 crores are yet to be released from the Finance department.
