‘Masahati Pattas’ awarded to tribal farmers of Bastar’s Abujhmad had now ended their worries. The people living there at a dense forest region, which was once a stronghold of Naxalites, are now able to reap the benefits of welfare schemes of state government after they received the land deeds.
An official communiqué said that the farmers of about 246 villages in Abujhmad had faced a lot of difficulties for generations as there was no record of their lands in the government database.
Due to this, they were unable to avail benefits of the welfare schemes such as getting loans and selling paddy at the support prices. Now their worries have finally come to an end with the distribution of 'Masahati Pattas' (land ownership deeds), it said.
The farmers of this tribal-dominated region will now be able to avail the benefits of all government schemes.
Earlier, they were dependent on monsoon for irrigating the crop, but now after the distribution of pattas, they have got the facility of solar pumps. They were earlier had to sell their paddy at throwaway prices ranging from Rs 10 to 15 in the open markets, but now will be able to sell their paddy at the support price to the government.
For this, paddy procurement centers have been started at Kohkameta, Basing, and Orchha in the Abujhmad region.
Now along with the distribution of seeds for various crops, guidance is also being given to the farmers by the Agriculture Department. The drip irrigation system is being installed in the fields and poly houses of them.
More than 5,000 people have received 'Masahati Pattas' so far. The remaining survey work is ongoing at a rapid pace. They are also being linked with other welfare schemes of the state government, the communiqué said.