Presenting his report card of four and half years as a Minister and MLA, Haryana Agriculture Minister OP Dhankar on Tuesday said that farmers in the State were being adequately compensated of their crop loss due to natural calamities such as hailstorms, water logging, drain over flow, fire among others.
In addition to this, 50 per cent of the total agriculture cost was being given to farmers as a profit by the BJP led state government, he said, claiming that after the formation of the BJP government in Haryana, the income of the farmers increased by Rs 16000 per acre.
Addressing a news conference at Press Club here, the minister said that he has done a lot of work for the betterment of the people in his constituency in four and half years. A calendar highlighting works and achievements will be distributed to each family of the constituency, he said.
The minister said the state government is currently engaged in promoting farmers towards horticulture, floriculture, poultry fishery, animal husbandry and others to increase the income of the farmers, adding, “As we have surplus production of agriculture products like rice, pulse, wheat and others in the State and across the country so focus is laid on quality of food products and increasing farmer’s income through various methods.”
Dhankar claimed that farmers were compensated with Rs 4.5 thousand crores for their damaged crops. Vegetable farmers were also compensated for Rs 12 crore. Farmers were also given compensation after their crops were damaged due to drain overflow, he said, adding every crop of farmers was purchased. In the last Mustard season, the central government had fixed the quota for procurement of 25 lakh quintals of mustard in Haryana but the state government has procured 70 lakh quintals.
Likewise, Millet, sunflower, coral, gram and others were purchased at a minimum support price. He said that in 2017, Haryana was chosen number one in the country for horticulture. Four years ago, the production of milk was 835 grams per person, which has now increased to 1035 grams, adding to promote animal husbandry among farmers, several schemes launched and competitions held.
Dhankar said that in 2014, the Fisheries had set a budget of 5 crores, which has grown to Rs 150 crores. To bring about a change in the living standards of the villagers, the government has also organised a competition called ‘star village’.
In which many villages have registered themselves and have taken a lot of money from the government for development works, he added.