Bengaluru: Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda said on Friday that Rabi crops on 1.58 lakh hectares of were damaged due to rains across the state and assured compensation would be paid to the affected farmers within a week.

Speaking at a press meet, after a video conference with all Deputy Commissioners, Gowda stated, “A joint survey has been conducted over the past month to assess the crop damage during the Rabi season, and the data entry work is nearing completion. The estimated loss is around Rs 120 crore, and the compensation will be credited to farmers’ bank accounts within the next week.” Gowda further stated that Rs 642 crore was available in the bank accounts of the Deputy Commissioners, and compensation will be distributed soon from this amount.

“During the Kharif season, crops were destroyed in about 77,000 hectares of land. In some areas, houses collapsed, and there were incidents of loss of life. In total, Rs 162 crore has already been deposited in the accounts of the affected farmers as compensation,” Gowda added.