BHAWANIPATNA: The approaching kharif season has the farmers of Kalahandi district worried. While failed monsoon spoiled crop last season, the drought-hit are yet to receive the input assistance of ` 6,000 and ` 3,000 per hectare of irrigated and non-irrigated farmland respectively. Agriculture and Statistics Department assessment had put the loss at more than 50 per cent in 869 villages under 179 gram panchayats. As many as 11 out of the 13 blocks in the district were declared drought-hit. A deficit in rainfall had affected 37,729 hectares with paddy yield being recorded 12 and 13 per cent less than the usual in winter and autumn respectively. As against 32.3 quintals of paddy produced per hectare in 2010, the yield in 2011 was calculated at 14.52 quintals.To help the farmers tide over the crisis, the State Government had decided to provide input assistance. Accordingly, the district administration had submitted a proposal of ` 42 crore. While the administration received ` 5 crore in March, it is yet to be distributed among the farmers with the final enumeration of farmers and land particulars still to reach the tehsils. While the administration has asked the tehsils to expedite the process, the delay is being attributed to the recent three-tier panchayat election which kept the officials busy.
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