Having an inkling of drought gripping Jharkhand after a gap of two years, the State Government has begun exercise to provide relief and assistance to farmers as well assessment of crop loss in the Kharif season. Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Wednesday chaired a review meeting with Agriculture Minister Randhir Singh and officials of the Disaster Management department to gauge the situation.
The CM was apprised by the Agriculture Minister and Secretary that preliminary estimates suggest 20 per cent loss of paddy crop and 10 per cent loss of maize crop.
Following which the Government ordered all the Deputy Commissioners to form district level task force and assess the crop loss at block level. The DCs have been asked to submit their reports with pictures to the Agriculture department and Disaster Management department.
The Government also passed important instructions to officials and DCs, including distribution of more Kisan Credit Cards to farmers, efforts to continue protective irrigation system from available sources of water, continuation of MGNERGA works, launching awareness campaigns for farmers, formation of block level teams for loss assessment, keeping an eye on farmers in distress and helping them from all possible means etc.
The Government has asked DCs to hold district level task force meeting every week and assess the situation regularly for providing the required help to farmers. The State Government has also decided to send a preliminary report to the Centre on agricultural situation of the State.
Earlier, the CM was apprised of the situation by the officials that rainfall during September and first week of October was negligible in the State. The reports coming from districts suggest that Ranchi, Simdega, Ramgarh, Hazaribagh districts have witnessed 30 per cent crop loss. lohardaga reports 35 per cent, West Singhbhum 38 per cent, Garhwa and Palamu 30 per cent and other districts have registered crop loss between 15 to 20 per cent.
Even the maize crop that was cultivated after a delay has undergone an estimated loss of 30 to 40 per cent in Palamu, Garhwa, latehar and Chatra districts.
The officials further said that the about 4.41 lakh non- borrowing farmers and 97,000 borrowers have been covered with crop insurance schemes. The State Government had requested the Centre to extend the dates for crop insurance and it was thus extended by the Government of India till mid September.
Sources said the Government is mulling to provide a huge relief package in the tune of Rs 150 crore as preliminary help to the farmers after the assessment reports are collected on October 15. Central assistance would also be sought depending on the severity of the situation, they added.