State government stands by farmers in this extraordinary crisis: CM
Bhopal: Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that state government stands by hailstorm-affected farmers in this hour of extraordinary crisis. State government will take extraordinary decisions to provide relief to farmers. Ideal crop insurance scheme will be chalked out by state government. A Loan Relief Commission will be constituted to deal with such situations. Besides, a Natural Disaster Relief Fund will also be set up to provide immediate relief to farmers. The Chief Minister has urged farmers to have patience and courage. Every possible assistance will be provided to them. Shri Chouhan chaired a high-level emergency meeting regarding losses to crops due to excessive rains and hailstorm. Cabinet members and senior officers were present at the meeting.
The Chief Minister said that as per preliminary information, crops have suffered damage in 9 thousand 584 villages in 49 districts. It is hour of crisis for farmers. State government has initiated every possible step to deal with it. Loan recovery from farmers has been suspended and interest on loan for this period will be paid by state government. Farmers’ over 50 percent loss will be considered as 100 percent loss and they will be provided compensation at the rate of Rs. 15 thousand per hectare. Assistance of Rs. 25 thousand each will be given for marriage of such farmers’ daughters. State government will also provide relief on 25 percent to 50 percent loss. He directed officers to ensure that no moneylender makes forceful recovery from affected farmers. Farmers who have suffered over 50 percent losses will be provided wheat and rice at the rate of Re. 1 per kg. Loan recovery period of farmers who have availed interest-free loans will be extended.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan has directed all ministers to monitor relief distribution in their respective districts. Joint teams of Revenue, Agriculture and Panchayat departments have been formed to ensure total transparency. Teams of senior officers will undertake monitoring to ensure that farmers get benefit of crop insurance scheme. A committee comprising Agriculture Production Commissioner, Additional Chief Secretary Finance and Principal Secretary Revenue will undertake centralized monitoring of relief amount’s distribution. Strict action will be taken against indifference in survey. Additional budget for relief to farmers will be made in vote on account. If required, farmers will be provided relief through deductions in budget for development works. Shri Chouhan urged people of the state to be ready for this sacrifice. He urged Centre to declare this crisis as national calamity and send teams immediately to assess losses.
At the meeting, Ministers suggested to undertake crop cutting experiment within time-limit, preparation for moong cultivation as alternative crop and provide relief also to affected farmers of forest villages. Home Minister Shri Babulal Gaur, Finance Minister Shri Jayant Malaiya, Agriculture Minister Shri Gaurishankar Bisen, PWD Minister Shri Sartaj Singh, Forest Minister Dr. Gaurishankar Shejwar, Revenue Minister Shri Rampal Singh, Food Minister Kunwar Vijay Shah, Public Health Engineering Minister Sushri Kusum Mahdele, Higher Education Minister Shri Umashankar Gupta, Minister of State for School Educational Shri Deepak Joshi, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Shri Surendra Patwa, Chief Secretary Shri Anthony de Sa, DGP Shri Nandan Dube and other senior administrative officers were present on the occasion.
Every field should be surveyed: During video-conferencing soon after this meeting, Chief Minister Shri Chouhan directed commissioners and collectors to ensure distribution of relief immediately to farmers in this hour of crisis. He said that senior officers should leave normal administrative work and interact with farmers. Survey should be undertaken for immediate relief with total transparency. Every field should be surveyed and no field be left out. Farmers should be provided benefit of crop insurance scheme. Loan recovery has been suspended. Money Lending Act should be invoked to ensure that moneylenders do not recover loans forcefully from farmers. The farmers whose crops have suffered over 50 per cent loss will be provided wheat and rice at the rate of Re. 1 per kg for next 8 months. Arrangements for seeds and fertilisers for next crop should be made now. He said that this hour of crisis is a test for administration’s leadership and efficiency. Apart from wheat and gram, survey of damage to other crops and vegetables should also be undertaken. Relief should also be provided to farmers having forest land pattas, whose crops have suffered damage.
Chief Secretary Shri de Sa directed that preliminary survey should be completed in next 5 days. List of farmers who have suffered over 50 percent loss should be chalked out. Collectors informed about magnitude of crop loss in various districts. Members of the state cabinet and senior officers of concerning departments were present on the occasion.
