Describing the damage to crops due to rain and hailstorm in Madhya Pradesh as a national calamity, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday announced a number of relief measures for affected farmers in the State.
While talking to media persons soon after holding an emergency meeting with top officials to review the situation, Chouhan said, "A total of 9,800 villages spread across 49 out of the total 51 districts in the State have been affected by rains and hailstorm which is like a national calamity."
Without waiting for Central assistance for which the State Government will submit a memorandum shortly, Chouhan said his the Government has decided to keep aside nearly Rs2,000 crore by curtailing demands of other departments in the vote on account to be passed during the coming assembly session.
"We have also set up a committee headed by Additional Chief
Secretary and Agriculture Production Commissioner (APC), MM Upadhyay to monitor the situation by taking feedback from the districts on the issue of damage to crops," Chouhan said.
The Chief Minister said that he has also directed Commissioners and Collectors to immediately conduct surveys of the damaged crops and start distributing compensation. "For any laxity in the survey, district collectors would be held directly responsible," Chouhan warned.
The government has also decided to treat 50 per cent or more damage as 100 per cent and directed the officials to distribute compensations accordingly. The Government also decided to provide enhanced compensation for damage to fruit-bearing trees, flowers, vegetables.
The Chief Minister said that after assessing the exact damage the government would submit a memorandum to the Centre for adequate assistance to the affected farmers and urged the two Union Ministers - Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia - to rise above politics and join hands with the state government in this hour of crisis in the interest of farmers.
He also said that wheat and price at Re one per kg will be provided for eight months to farmers who have suffered over 50 per cent crop-loss due to rail and hailstorm.
Chouhan: It’s not the time to play politics
Bhopal: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday urged two Union Ministers associated with the Madhya Pradesh to use their influence in obtaining as much relief as possible for farmers affected by hailstorm and excessive rains.While talking to mediapersons, Chouhan said it is not the time for playing politics. The two ministers in the Congress-led Centre belonging from the state and other Congress leaders from Madhya Pradesh should help in securing relief from the Centre. Commenting upon certain media reports pertaining to Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia's statement demanding that relief should be provided at Rs 5,000 per 'bigha', he said the central provisions provided for distribution of relief amount of Rs 1,000 per 'bigha'.
Farmers stage stir, demand relief
Bhopal: Demanding relief for the damaged crops caused by the unseasonal rains and hailstorm in Madhya Pradesh, farmers on Friday staged demonstrations in Rajgarh and Vidisha districts. In Rajgarh, hundreds of farmers, led by Congress leaders, gathered on the junction of two national highways passing through Biora and halted traffic movement. Police reached the spot but failed to remove the protestors, who budged three hours later only after being provided assurance by Rajgarh Collector Anand Sharma of an early survey and subsequentfarmers stage protest, demands relief disposal of relief amount.In Vidisha, affected peasants staged demonstration near Ganjbasoda tehsil headquarters demanding adequate compensation. Police and administrative officials reached the spot.
Yadav for Rs20,000/ha in lieu of damage
Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress president Arun Yadav on Friday demanded a compensation of Rs20,000 per hectare for the farmers whose crops were damaged in the recent heavy rains and hailstorm.
While talking to media persons, Yadav said the issue should not be politicised. He said that he and the leader of Opposition in the State Assembly Satyadev Katare, met the Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in New Delhi on Thursday, and urged him to provide relief to the farmers in the State.Rs20,000 compensation for farmers: yadav
Yadav said he also toured Sehore district to make an assessment of the damage.Yadav urged farmers not to resort to extreme steps like suicide in the face of the difficult times.