Sowing for crops by farmers during the forthcoming Rabi season would be taken up in an area of 10.2 lakh hectares in Raipur division.
This was informed by officials attending a review meeting chaired by Agriculture Production Commisioner Ajay Singh at the new circuit house in the city.
Singh during the review meeting convened for Raipur and Durg divisions also asked officials to encourage farmers to take up pulses and oilseeds crops during the summer season instead of paddy on the their fields.
The officials also informed that sowing in 6.07 lakh hectares had been proposed in Durg division for the Rabi season.
It may also be recalled that Chhattisgarh Government would now come to the aid of farmers with extension of ‘seed funding deadline’ whose crops were damaged due to scanty rainfall thereby leaving their farm lands without any crop output for the Kharif season.
Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agarwal on Monday said Tehsil farmers whose Kharif crops are damaged due to drought or other seasonal effects will receive the Seeding Funding amount till December 31. The date is extended for the sake of farmers, officials stated.
Farmers can get the amount only from the Processing Centres functional under Seed and Agriculture Development Corporation or its cooperative societies, he said. Agarwal said details about the Seed Funding extension can be collected from the Field Officers of the Agriculture Department.
Moreover, in yet another relief measure for the farmers in drought-hit tehsils, the Chhattisgarh Government had also decided to provide a grant to operate diesel pumps for irrigation of Kharif crops.
A circular in this regard was issued from Agriculture Department in Mantralaya to Director (Agriculture), all collectors and Deputy Director of agriculture department posted in the districts recently.
A decision for providing grant to farmers of drought-hit tehsils to operate diesel pumps for irrigation of Kharif crop was taken by CM Raman Singh while chairing cabinet meeting recently, informed Agriculture Minister Brijmohan Agrawal.
The circular issued from the Mantralaya to officials concerned carry information regarding grant limit, eligibility, process for grant and its payment and other details.
As per the circular, farmers of areas which recorded rainfall less that 50 percent till July 15 and area declared drought-hit by the State Government will be eligible for the grant.
Similarly, the areas which did not receive rainfall for 15 days after July 15, 60 percent rainfall or less than 60 percent would also be entitled for the benefit. The farmer of areas belonging to tehsils declared as drought-hit by the Government and did not have irrigation facility irrigation would also be eligible for the benefit.
As per information received, the farmers who did not have diesel pumps would also be entitled to draw the benefit of Government scheme but the arrangement of pumps should be done by him. Benefits will be ensured to a farmer against two hectare land.
Chief Minister Raman Singh on September 14 had also sanctioned `2.69 crore for power connections to be provided to ‘non-feasible’ irrigation pumps of 344 farmers belonging to the Scheduled Castes (SC) community. He was participating in the meeting of people’s representatives and officers of the Scheduled Castes' Development Authority at the Mantralaya in Naya Raipur. There is a proposal to provide financial help for self-employment to 300 Scheduled Caste youth under the Mini Mata Swahalamban Yojana in the current financial year 2015-16.
Singh said that `1.50 lakh is given to an unemployed Scheduled Caste youth who is selected by the Scheduled Caste Development Authority. If there is need for extra financial assistance the youth are provided with it under the Prime Minister's Mudra Bank Yojana.
The Chief Minister said that loans amounting from `50,000 to `10 lakh is provided to the Scheduled Caste unemployed youth without any Guarantee or mortgage or hypothecation.
Singh said that the public utility ‘Nal-Jal’ yojanas will not be disconnected even if the electric bills are not paid.
Orders to this effect have already been issued to the Panchayat and Rural Development Department and Energy Department. The amount relating to the pending power bills will be cleared by the Panchayat and Rural Development Department and paid by the Gram panchayats.
The Scheduled Castes' Development Authority officials said that `35 crore had been allocated to the Authority for the current fiscal 2015-16. An amount of `26 lakh has been sanctioned for 12 development works in the meeting here.