**Bhubaneswar: ** As Odisha Government has much earlier declared nine districts and 17 blocks drought-hit in this Kharif season, a detailed report has been submitted with the Centre seeking financial assistance for the affected farmers.
Informing media today at the State Secretariat, Odisha Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Maheswar Mohanty said, “9 districts and 17 blocks have been affected by drought. We have already sent report to the Central Government. We have demanded Rs 1534.82 lakh drought assistance from the Centre. The report has been received by the Centre much earlier.”
“We have submitted the report when crop cutting began. Photographs have also been enclosed with the report submitted,” he further informed.
Notably, Odisha Government has formally declared drought for Kharif-2018 in which 9 districts have been shown adversely affected basing on the reports from the Collectors through the Director, Agriculture & Food Production.
Accordingly, the State Government has declared Drought of Moderate/ Severe natures in the areas vide Gazette Notification No.8537 dt.31.10.2018 and authorized the Collectors to undertake relief measures in the notified area.
As per the reports received from the Collectors through the Director, Agriculture & Food Production, Odisha, 233173.8 hectares of crop land in 5633 villages under 1186 Gram Panchayats of 66 Blocks and 16 ULBs of 9 Districts namely, Baragarh, Bolangir, Deogarh, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Nuapada, Sambalpur and Sundargarh have sustained crop loss of 33% and above due to moisture stress, as per a press note of Government of Odisha issued on November 1 this year.
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