The state government has sanctioned Rs 115 crore to Malda to be paid as compensation for losses incurred by farmers in the district during the floods in August last year.
Minister for agriculture Ashish Banerjee is scheduled to launch the cheque distribution process among the beneficiaries at the Malda College Ground in English Bazaar on Friday.
The district agricultural department has already prepared a list of around 2 lakh farmers who lost their crops in the floods, it is learnt.
According to the district deputy director of the department, Amitabha Choudhury, almost two lakh beneficiaries have been shortlisted throughout the district for the compensation and they will be given away cheques amounting to a minimum of Rs 1000 to a maximum of Rs 27000.
“The fund has already been disbursed by the state for the preparation of the cheques to be distributed among the beneficiaries, the process of which will be kicked off by the honourable state minister of our department.We have arranged for a programme in this regard in the Malda College ground on Friday,” Mr Choudhury said.
According to departmental sources, a large area of agricultural land in almost 112 gram panchayats of the district was affected by the floods.
Crops, including paddy, jute, maize and vegetables grown across 67,000 hectares of land were damaged after floodwaters entered the fields from the Ganga, Mahananda and Fulhar rivers.
“After completing the overall scrutiny of the damages, the department had sent a report to the state government,” sources said. Malda district magistrate Kaushik Bhattacharya said that they are all set for the cheque distribution process to begin on Friday.