Chief Minister Raman Singh on Sunday announced that 22 lakh farmers will be provided free seeds worth Rs200 crore to 300 crore in the drought-hit regions of Chhattisgarh.
About 9,000 units of electricity will be supplied free-of-cost to the farmers. Earlier it was 7,500 units. About Rs30,000 worth of power is being supplied free-of-cost to each farmer, he said in his address on the third episode of 'Raman Ke Goth'' programme aired on All India Radio (AIR) on Sunday.
Four lakh farmers with irrigation pumps will be benefitted with the steps taken by the Government. Under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA), youth will be provided with 150 days of employment. Earlier it was 100 days of employment, he said,
Singh said officers have been ordered to provide compensation to farmers in Surguja region who had been severely hit by hailstorm.
On quality of education issue, the Chief Minister assured the citizens of the State that the future of their children is safe and they have a bright career at the national-level ahead.
Earlier the State authorities might have overlooked certain flaws in the education system; but with the launch of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Quality Education Mission in the entire State there is scope for better and higher standards of education, Singh said.
The broadcast was telecast simultaneously on all the Akashwani Kendras of Chhattisgarh. It was telecast on FM channels.
Chief Minister Raman Singh while speaking in both Hindi and Chhattisgarhi also greeted the citizens on the auspicious occasion of Deepawali , Goverdhan Puja, Bhai Dooj, Kartik Poornima and Gurunanak Jayanti.
Singh expressed his concern over the school children being taken to tourist spots on vehicles like tractors.
He cautioned the teachers to be more cautious in future.
The Chief Minister referred to the tragic death of five students at Fingeshwar Development Block in Gariaband district. The teachers of Government Middle School of Village Rajkatti have taken the school children on a village tractor which met with an accident. They were on a pilgrimage tour to Sonai-Rupai Mata Temple.
Unfortunately, the tractor-trolley with 73 students met with an accident. About 10 students have been admitted to the Raipur-based Hospital for medical treatment.
Singh said that the accident raised many questions of utmost importance. Is it justified to take so many small school children on tractor-trolley IJ Was the teacher following the guidelines IJ Panchayat members should have stopped the tour. Cannot we stop such type of accidents IJ All these questions agitate my mind. Three girls and two boys met an untimely death.
The parents did not know that they were bidding final good-bye to their wards, he said.
The Chief Minister paid deep sympathies to the families of the deceased and prayed for their departed souls.
Singh cautioned the teachers not to behave in an irresponsible way in times to come.
The State Government has taken stern action against those responsible for the tragic deaths. Police has filed a complaint and let us take pledge that these types of accidents do not occur in future.
Singh while referring to the drought situation and hailstorm-hit farmers said that the authorities are taking all steps to ameliorate the hardships of farmers.
Ninety three tehsils have been declared drought-affected already. Seventeen more tehsils have been declared drought-hit after a report has been received. A Relief -Package worth Rs4000 crore has been sent to the Union Government for early approval, he said.
Referring to the purchase of paddy, the Chief Minister said that State Government had made arrangement to buy every grain of paddy on Minimum Support Price (MSP). The procurement of paddy will start on November 16, 2015 and will continue till January 31, 2016. The purchase will be done at the 1,976 kendras of the Co-Operative Committees.
He informed the listeners that registration of farmers had been done since September 1 to 15 October 2015. There are 71,000 more farmers than last year registered this time round.
A total of 13.23 lakh farmers had been registered this year.
He appealed to the farmers to carry clean and dry paddy to the purchase centres. The MSP for common paddy is fixed at Rs 1410 per quintal and for Grade-A paddy Rs1450 per quintal.
The payment will be paid online to the farmers. The entire process is computerized. The maximum limit for purchase has been fixed at 15 quintals per acre, Singh said.
The Chief Minister while referring to the enthusiastic response of the citizens to the ''Raman Ke Goth'' programme thanked them.
Resident of Gandai-Pandaria of Rajnandgaon district Dr P.C. lal Yadav requested the Chief Minister to appoint traditional Art and Music teachers in the Primary and Middle Schools . The students in the rural regions are interested in folk art and music.
The Chief Minister appreciated the suggestion of the concerned listener.
Dr Yadav mentioned that apart from an encouragement to folk-art, culture and literature the talent among the students will flower.
Ramesh Aachla a resident of village Tumdikasa in Ambagah Chowki Tehsil of Rajnandgaon district mentioned that 'Raman Ke Goth' should be broadcast in Gondi language also to cater to the majority of the folks in Forest regions.
Dameshwar Sinha a listener from Thanabodi village in Kanker district said that pucca toilets constructed are not of minimum quality and MNREGA wages had not been paid.
laxmi Thakur a resident of Charoda in Durg district mentioned that her husband lost her job in the Army due to physical disability and due to lack of regular income the education of children had come to a halt.
She requested for help from the concerned authorities.
A listener has sent a suggestion even if the quality of education is improved under the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Quality Education Mission , the mandatory promotion of students up to Standard VIII should be stopped.
He appreciated that students are taking keen interest in improving the quality of education.