Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 23 The Keralam government has doubled the compensation paid to farmers for crop damage caused by wildlife attacks, revising the rates for the first time in 10 years.
The compensation rates were last revised in 2015, according to an official statement on Friday.
Under the revised order, the ceiling on compensation and the restriction on the number of applications filed by farmers have been completely removed, it said.
In addition to compensation for crop damage, farmers will receive Rs 15 per coconut and Rs 30 per kg of cocoa damaged by wildlife attacks.
Earlier, compensation was available only when coconut or cocoa trees were destroyed, the statement said.
Farmers must report crop or produce damage caused by wildlife attacks to the concerned authorities within two weeks of the incident.
They must also submit applications in the prescribed format within six months of the damage.
The existing conditions governing applicants’ eligibility and the procedures for verifying their eligibility will remain unchanged.
The forest department intervened to revise the rates after finding that the compensation paid to farmers for crop damage caused by wildlife attacks was inadequate, the statement added.
(PTI News)
