Compensation for disaster hit cultivations

Uditha Kumarasinghe

COLOMBO: The Agrarian Services and Farmer Community Development Ministry has taken immediate measures to pay compensation to all landslide-hit and flood affected paddy and vegetable cultivations within two weeks.

On a directive by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, officials of the Agrarian Development Department and the Agricultural and Agrarian Insurance Board (AAIB) are now making assessments of the damage to the cultivations.

Vegetable and paddy cultivations have been damaged in Nuwara Eliya, Hambantota and Ampara districts, Agrarian Services and Farmer Community Development Minister S.M.Chandrasena told the Daily News yesterday. According to Minister Chandrasena, vegetable and paddy cultivations in Nuwara Eliya and Hambantota districts have been worst affected by landslides and floods.

"The statistics received so far have revealed that nearly 3,000 acres of paddy lands in Hambantota district, 1,000 acres of vegetable cultivation in Nuwara Eliya district and another 1,500 acres of paddy lands in Lahugala, Paanama and Pottuvil coming under the purview of the Amapara district have been destroyed."

The Ministry through the AAIB has made arrangements to pay compensation in respect of all affected paddy and vegetable cultivations.

Steps will also be taken to pay compensation to all cultivations which have not been insured, the Minister said.

At present the officials of the Agrarian Services Department and the AAIB are making a study of the landslide-hit and flood affected areas to make assessments for the immediate payment of compensation to the affected farmers, he said. Minister Chandrasena yesterday made an inspection tour of the Hambantota district to look into the damage caused to the paddy lands in the Hambantota district.

Farmers can also make representations on the damage caused to their cultivations to the Assistant Directors of the Agrarian Development Department, Regional Agrarian Development Officers, Agriculture Research and Production Assistants or AAIB Assistant Directors in their respective areas.