CM responds to farmers questions on All India Radio
Bhopal. The Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the farmers to keep patience, not to lose hope and be bold in difficult time. He said that the State Government and concerned people are with them. He said that a year has been lost but all is lot. The State Government is taking every possible measure to help the farmers overcome the crisis.
Immediate steps have been taken to provide relief like distribution of relief, ensuring crop insurance amount, providing seeds and fertilizers for the rabi crop, zero percent interest loans, helping the farmers to organize marriage ceremony of daughters, deferring loan recovery. Shri Chouhan was responding to the queries by the farmers through a live phone-in programme on All India Radio here today.
In response to a question of a farmer, the Chief Minister informed that special session of State Assembly will be convened in the first week of November for getting approval for loan amount in order to distribute relief to the farmers. He said that loans can be repaid but it is urgent to help the farmers at the difficult moment. Giving credit to farmers for bringing glory to Madhya Pradesh in farm sector, he said that it is due to their hard work state’s agriculture growth rate continues to be average 20 per cent for the last four consecutive years. Despite calamities such as hailstorm and frost the foodgrain production has been doubled.
The Chief Minister reiterated his resolve to make agriculture a profitable business. He said that the irrigation is vital for the growth of farm sector. It has been increased to 36 lakh hectare and will soon be further increased to 50 lakh hectare. Referring to improved irrigation in Malwa region, he said that Narmada-Kshipra river link project has done it and Narmada-Gambhir project is being chalked out. Also Ken-Betwa river linking project is being worked on. Talking about availability of water in major dams, he said that minor irrigation schemes will be now be taken up on massive scale. The campaign of increasing irrigation capacity will continue, he added.
