Alappuzha: Following the plight of paddy farmers, the Kerala government has also neglected duck farmers. A year and a half ago, the ducks were infected with bird flu, leading farmers to cull them en masse. However, to this day, the government has not provided compensation to the farmers of Alappuzha.
The government owes Rs. 1.5 crore to duck farmers in Alappuzha alone. When they approach the authorities for compensation, they are informed that the government lacks funds. In Kuttanad, farmers express distress as they ventured into duck farming with borrowed funds, now left uncompensated.
Initially, the government announced its inability to compensate for disease-induced duck deaths, offering a mere Rs 200 per culled duck. However, farmers accuse the state government of scapegoating the central government while evading its compensation responsibilities. The animal protection department cites a lack of state funds as justification for non-payment. Consequently, 66 farming families in Alappuzha are left in dire straits due to the state government’s failure to provide them with the deserved compensation.
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