Even as more than 10 cases of farmers’ suicide have been reported from various parts of Haryana after unseasonal rains and hailstorm destroyed their crops, the BJP Government seems to have adopted an ‘ostrich strategy’ towards the sensitive issue.
Instead of acknowledging the severity of the situation, State Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar on Friday chose to overlook the issue saying, “Suicide is a crime… Haryanavis (farmers) are bold/strong (dhakad)…They do not commit suicide.” Dhankar made these comments during ‘meet-the-Press’ programme at Chandigarh Press club here on Friday.
The Minister kept mum when asked about any compensation to be given to the families of farmers who have either committed suicide or died of shock and heart attack after suffering huge losses due to crop damage. His party colleague and Ambala MP Ratan lal Kataria had few days back dismissed the reports of farmers’ suicide as non-issue and had said that the issue has been blown out of proportion.
But now, the State Agriculture Minister also chose to throw his hat in the ring as well and defend the State Government on the issue. Apparently, the BJP-led State Government’s reaction to the farmers’ woes resembles a lot the ostrich’s tendency to bury its head in the ground when confronted with danger.
Due to incessant and untimely rainfall and hailstorm in Haryana in the month of February, March and April, the farmers have suffered huge losses during the ongoing Rabi Marketing season. In the past two weeks, Haryana has reported more than 10 deaths of affected farmers who either committed suicide or died of shock and heart attack.
According to National Crime Record Bureau, Haryana registered 374 farmers suicide in 2013, against 83 in neighbouring Punjab.Notably, the Haryana Human Rights Commission had last week issued a notice to the State Government seeking its reply on suicide case of a farmer. As per initial reports, the rains have damaged the wheat crop on more than 20 lakh hectares in Haryana. And, more than two lakh hectares land have witnessed over 50 percent crop damage. With rains again adding to the woes of farmers on April 15 and 16, Haryana Government has extended special assessment by 5 days from April 15 in order to assess crop loss.
The State had received excess rainfall of 466 percent in March while in April, 591 percent excess rainfall is witnessed so far. Till April 16, 31.8 mm rainfall is received in the state against normal rains of 4.6 mm while in March, heavy rainfall of 70.9 mm against normal rainfall of 12.5 mm was witnessed.
HARYANA TO SET UP INSURANCE CORPORATION
With farmers facing heavy losses on account of crop damaged by freak weather conditions, Haryana Government has decided to bring all growers under insurance scheme by setting up an Insurance Corporation.
This is aimed at ensuring proper compensation for their crop loss due to adverse weather conditions. “The State Government has planned to set up Insurance Corporation on Public Private Partnership mode so as to bring all farmers under this fold whereby affected growers could get compensation for their crop loss,” said Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar.
He said that the State Government is in the process of identifying suitable insurance companies for entering into a tie-up to undertake crop insurance activity in the state. “We are studying various crop insurance polices in order to provide maximum relief to farmers for the loss suffered due to inclement weather conditions,” said he.
Notably, in a recent meeting of State level Bankers' Committee here, an official of Agriculture Insurance Company of India ltd had pointed out that Haryana government did not issue notification for the implementation of crop insurance schemes for Kharif and Rabi seasons 2014-15.
INlD conducts rallies in protest
Chandigarh: The Indian National lok Dal (INlD), the main opposition party in Haryana, staged rallies at district headquarters across the State on Friday demanding compensation of Rs25,000 per acre for rain and hailstorm affected farmers.
The INlD workers also handed over memorandum to the administrative officers. The memorandum, addressed to Haryana Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar, contains several demands for farmers who lost their crops due to unseasonal rain and hailstorm in the State.
A demand of Rs300 per quintal bonus in addition to the minimum support price (MSP) was also made. The memorandum also said that the Central and State Governments must implement the Swaminathan report soon as the BJP promised in its poll manifesto.