Subsidy on diesel, seeds to be hiked to help farmers

The Central government on Tuesday approved Rs 1,931 crore financial package to five drought-affected states, including Rs 224 crore for Karnataka. The package will be used primarily to ensure supply of drinking water in rain deficient states and improve watershed management for drought-proofing. In addition, subsidy on diesel and seeds will be increased to help farmers tackle the crisis and save standing crops. Import duty on oil mill cake has been waived to improve the feed scenario.

50 per cent diesel subsidy to farmers to save standing crops

With the country facing a 20 per cent deficient monsoon, the Union government on Tuesday announced a financial assistance of more than Rs. 1,900 crore under various schemes for the affected States. It also extended a diesel subsidy of 50 per cent to farmers to save the standing crops through groundwater irrigation. Subsidy on seeds will be raised and farmers who are forced to sow again will be given compensation. To enhance the supply of animal feed, the import duty on oil meal cakes will be waived.

The state chief minister Arjun Munda announced a relief package to the vextent of Rs 410 crore for the relief to 39 lakh farmers in the state owing to adverse impact of lowest rainfall this year in comparison with last few years affecting sevvere drought like condition throughout 24 districts of the state.

Of the sanctioned amount of Rs 410 crore, Rs 150 crore will be provided to the farmers to purchase diesel for irrigation purpose and Rs 240 crore will be utilizes by 39 lakh farmers as interest free loan through banks.

PMK leader S. Ramadoss on Sunday wanted Tamil Nadu to be declared drought-hit, as it was going through a period of severe crisis following the failure of South West monsoon and failure of Karnataka to release Cauvery water for Kuruvai cultivation.

He also wanted the State to waive crop loans and land tax, besides taking steps to increase days from 100 to 300 covered by the rural employment guarantee scheme.

The Punjab government on Sunday sought a Rs 800-crore interim relief package from the Centre expressing its anxiety over the drought-like situation in the State.

The State also sought 1000 mw additional power allocation from the Central pool in lieu of extra money being spent by the State government on purchase of power for the agriculture sector besides additional cost of diesel borne by farmers for irrigation of paddy crop, in view of “deficient and erratic monsoon.

2,407 out of 2,449 tanks are completely dry and wells have very little water

With the dry spell continuing in the district and the storage level in the major reservoirs going down alarmingly due to poor precipitation in the catchment areas, farmers have appealed to the State Government to declare Tirunelveli as ‘drought-hit district’ and provide adequate relief to save the agriculturists. Making this appeal in the monthly farmers’ grievance day meeting held at the Collectorate on Friday, R. Kasamuthu, secretary, Tirunelveli District Farmers’ Association, said 2,407 of the 2,449 irrigation tanks in the district were bone-dry while the wells had water sufficient for only 15 to 20 minutes pumping.

In his first meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh after taking over as Karnataka Chief Minister, Jagadish Shettar on Tuesday requested central assistance of Rs 2,000 crore for the drought-lik

Karnataka on Tuesday sought interim relief of over Rs. 2,000 crore from the Centre to deal with deficient Monsoon rains leading to acute scarcity of drinking water and fodder in the state.

"We explained about drought-like situation in Karnataka. We have asked Centre's help. We have requested interim relief of over Rs. 2,000 crore," state Chief Minister Jagdish Shettar told reporters after meeting with Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar here.

The state government is ready to spend as much as `2,625 crore to tackle the drought-like situation in the various talukas. Relief and rehabilitation minister Patangrao Kadam on Wednesday made this announcement in the legislative Assembly.

“The government is with the people of the state and will ensure that it helps people,” said the minister. Around 38 MLAs participated in the discussion and some of these MLAs made allegations that the government was biased toward Western Maharashtra while problems in Vidarbha, Marathwada and northern Maharashtra were being neglected. Mr Kadam, however, denied the allegations.

Anticipating a bleak situation due to scanty rainfall, the state government on Wednesday announced a Rs2,685 crore package for drought-affected areas in the state assembly.