East DAC collating data on crop damage due to latest round of hailstorms

GANGTOK, 09 April: Heavy rains and hail that the State has been receiving for the past week or so have wreaked havoc on the livelihood of farmers in rural Sikkim. With a number of reports of crop damage coming in from all quarters with each passing day, the concerned offices are now in the process of collating all the reports of damages caused by hail and are expected to have an accurate figure in the next few days.
Speaking to NOW!, DC [East], D Anandan, confirmed that reports of crop damage due to hail have been coming in from various areas in and around Gangtok and across the East district at a steady pace and that his office has asked these complaints to be first registered with the Agriculture Department before a final assessment can be announced.
“Accordingly, the compensation packages will be announced after all the reports are registered with the Agriculture Department,” he stated.
Most of the reports are being routed through the respective panchayats who are in the process of collecting all the complaints and seeking supporting evidence in the form of photographs. Affected persons especially farmers have been flocking to the DC office the past few days with relevant documents to claim compensation.
Further, some claims for damages are also being recommended by the respective MLAs after which the same was being forwarded to the Agriculture Department and then the office of the District Collectorate. Only after the report of the Agriculture department has come in verifying the claims and extent of damages will the compensation amount be decided upon.