Haryana Government has urged the Centre to provide Rs100 bonus per quintal over and above the MSP of wheat, relaxation in standard quality norms for wheat procurement in current Rabi season and special central assistance of Rs1,136 crore to compensate the loss to crops due to untimely rains and hailstorm in the State in March. During the meeting with Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan and Union Minister for State for Agriculture Dr Sanjeev Kumar Balyan in Chandigarh, CM Manohar lal suggested formulating five factor slab system for assessing the loss to crop so that every farmer could get benefit of compensation announced by the Government. He said that compensation should be calculated in the slabs of 0-10 per cent, 11 to 25 per cent, 26 to 50%, 51 to 75 per cent and 76 to 100%. At present, the Central Government is not giving compensation on crop loss upto 50%.
Manohar lal said that State has witnessed unseasonal rain and hailstorm which caused huge loss to crop. The Government has already ordered special assessment exercise to evaluate the crop loss and had also urged the Centre to provide interim relief of Rs500 crore to the State to compensate the farmers at large. The State Government has demanded total relief of Rs1,136 crore and final assessment report which was to come by March 31 will now be received by April 7, he added.
The CM also suggested that a provision should be made to compensate the farmers towing the land besides the land owners. Haryana Agriculture Minister, OP Dhankar said that based on the reports of the concerned departments, draft memorandum for special central assistance from the Centre has been prepared by the State Government. While segregating the assistance of Rs1136 crore requested from Central Government under various categories, he said that the requirement of Rs537.28 crore is for Agriculture Department which is on account of damage to standing crops, cost of extra inputs, drainage cost and cost of seeds subsidy, Rs21.16 crore for Horticulture department on account of damage to standing crops and decline in product, Rs30 crore for Power Department on account of compensation for supply of additional power to Agriculture and waiver of electricity bills, Rs193.30 crore for Rural Development department on account of additional fund requirement to create employment for labour not engaged in crop harvesting (under MGNREGS).
It also included Rs28 crore for Animal Husbandry Department to maintain livestock health i.e. life saving drugs, anthelmintic (dewormers) antiseptics or disinfectant or bandages, systemic immune stimulants, feed supplements and mineral mixture, Rs281.02 crore for Cooperation Department on account of assistance for interest loss due to deferment, loss incurred by farmers for conversion of short term loan to medium term loan and additional re-finance required from NABARD and Rs45.15 crore for PWD Department for road repair.