Govt okays compensation to coffee growers

Rs 3.47 crore sum to be distributed among 8,904 beneficiaries

Compensation will be distributed from the CRF sanctions available with the district administration. It will be a sigh of relief for farmers, who were eagerly waiting for compensation for the past two years.

In 2007-08, coffee crops in 5785.49 hectares of land in the district were damaged due to rains. The district administration had decided to distribute Rs 6,000 per hectare. Accordingly, a proposal was submitted to the government to distribute about Rs 3,47,12,940 as compensation in 8,904 cases reported.

Compensation was already distributed to growers in three hoblis of Chikmagalur district. However, the Kodagu district administration could not distribute compensation so far as there was no response from the government to the proposal.  
MLC M C Nanaiah had discussed the issue with Revenue Department Secretary G S Narayanaswamy and Natural Disaster Department Secretary Prabhakar in Bangalore on January 19. The Horticulture Department too had submitted a report, which is favourable to coffee growers. Finally, the district administration has received approval from the government for the distribution of compensation to coffee growers.

A total of 2,515 growers had submitted application for compensation in Madikeri taluk in 2007-08. More than 50 per cent of the crops in 2063.62 hectares of land in the taluk were damaged due to rains. District administration recommended the government to distribute compensation to the tune of Rs 1,23,81,720 in the taluk.  Meanwhile, 3,541 applicants in Virajpet taluk will get Rs 84,20,940 as compensation for crop loss in 1403.49 hectares of land. In Somwarpet taluk, 2,848 applicants will be compensated with Rs 1,39,10,280 for crop loss in 2318.38 hectares.

Deputy Commissioner K H Ashwathanarayana Gowda told Deccan Herald that Tahsildars were asked to prepare the list for approval. Compensation will be distributed immediately after the list was ready, he added.