Fast
forwarding farm economy
Vanam
Jwala Narasimha Rao
Telangana
Today (02-06-2017)
A series of innovative steps focused on improving the life of farmers
is reviving up agriculture in Telangana.
Ever since the
state of Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014, in the three year
governance, among umpteen welfare and development initiatives of the
Government, the one that tops is the welfare of farmer. It is not an
exaggeration to say that, nowhere in the country, or to that matter, nowhere in
the world, the farmers’ interests are protected, safeguarded and perennially
given a thought, the way it is done in Telangana. Farmer Loan waiver, giving
input subsidy, providing free power, construction of Godowns and many more such
welfare measures have been initiated and implemented by the Telangana
Government to make Agriculture a profit making sector. Majority of people in
Telangana depend and live on agriculture. That is the reason why government accords
top priority to it. To avoid migration of farmers and increase the productivity
modern technologies have been provided for agriculture. Marketing centers have
been set-up to procure agriculture product and to ensure supporting price.
Beginning with Loan waiver to farmer, the recent decision to give Rs. 8, 000
per acre to the farmer as input subsidy to buy fertilizers, seed and other
connected things is a proof of Chief Minister’s commitment to agriculture
sector and welfare of farmer. In the long run and in the near future when one
crore acres get irrigated water, and then it is certain that Telangana becomes
a golden Telangana with all fertile lands around.
The
list that is not exhausted has a number of welfare measures intended to farmer
in it. Loan waiver; supply of seeds and fertilizers on time; invoking PD Act on
those who indulge in spurious activity; subsidizing Rs. 8000 per acre per
farmer towards agriculture investment; use of internet to pass on agriculture
related information; soil testing; reviving land records; registration of
sadabainamas-the plain paper agreements; appointing one agriculture officer for
every 5000 acres; bringing in State Krushi Vikas Yojana scheme; preference to
micro irrigation; subsidy for poly and green house cultivation to SC and ST
farmers; encouraging mechanization in farming; establishing horticulture
university; establishing food processing center, agriculture poly techniques
and forest college; payment of input subsidy including arrears; construction of
godowns on a large scale and providing loan equaling to 75% of produce that
they put in godowns to the farmer; supply of food in agriculture markets at Rs
5; enhancing of labor rates to Hamalis; 9 hours free power supply for
agriculture and making efforts to provide round the clock supply by the end of
2018; sanction agriculture power connections; reservations in market
committees; making Telangana as seed bowl of India; exgratia to the farmers who
committed suicides…..and many more such welfare measures. An urge to do more to
the farmer will probably pave way for designing more and more welfare measures
in future.
Immediately
after coming to power, the TRS party, as promised in election manifesto, waived
the farmer loans to an extent of Rs One lakh as on 31st March 2014.
In addition to the earlier three installments, the fourth and final one was
released and paid on April 11, 2017. With this the total amount of Rs 16, 374
crores benefiting 35.3 lakh farmers which has been waived is released.
Measures are initiated
to supply Intime seeds to the farmer as well as fertilizers and pesticides. The
earlier practice of supplying seeds from only Mandal center resulting in long
ques and lathi charges was done away and in its place subsidized seeds are
being supplied at the doorstep of farmer through primary agriculture
cooperative societies. To overcome the possible deficit when needed, the seeds,
fertilizers and pesticides are stocked well in advance in the godowns. Government
has initiated stringent measures to control supply of spurious seeds,
fertilizers and pesticides.
Chief Minister has
announced in Pragathi Bhavan’s Janahitha Hall on April 13, 2017 interacting
with farmers, that, from May 2018 about 25 lakhs tones of fertilizers would be
supplied to farmers through depositing Rs 4, 000 per acre twice a year for both
Kharif and Rabi crops, into farmers’ accounts. For the monsoon crop the amount
would be deposited in May month and for the summer crop in October month said
CM. To ensure a corruption and hassle-free process of this scheme, CM proposed
formation of village level, Mandal level, district level and state level farmer
societies.
To put an end to
all land related disputes government decided to revive the land records. As
part of this several reforms have been initiated in registration and mutation
policy. Sadabainamas (Agreements on white paper) pertaining to up to five acres
in villages are registered free of cost. About 1639 lakhs of acres of land
benefiting 11. 19 persons has been registered this way. For lands passed on to
the next generation on hereditary basis mutations have been done within ten
days. For rest of the lands mutation is to be done within 15 days from the date
of registration. Government has appointed one agriculture extension officer for
every 5000 acres of land who will guide the farmer constantly.
Priority has been
given for micro irrigation by way of providing subsidies to SC and ST farmers.
Poly house and green house cultivation is encouraged. Mechanization is
introduced for increasing productivity. In addition to loan waiver government
also provided input subsidy including payment of arears since 2009. Godowns
have been constructed on a large scale to enable farmer to stock his produce
until he gets expected price with facility to provide loan up to 75% on the
stocks.
Despite adequate
water supply through borewells farmer were facing problem due to power cuts
earlier. To overcome this Government has been supplying 9 hours free and
quality power from April 2016 for which nearly 35% of overall power capacity is
consumed. Efforts are afoot to supply round the clock power by the end of 2018
and meticulous plan is in progress. To make it happen additional sub-stations,
power transformers, KV lines are planned. The government which sanctioned 2,
58, 195 agriculture power connections till December 2016 has decided to
increase it to another 63, 700.
Unheard in the
history anywhere, in Telangana, reservations are introduced to nominate market
committee chairpersons making way for SC, ST, BC and women farmers getting
nominated for these posts. Government has initiated every step to convert
Telangana as seed bowl of India.
Chief Minister KCR
and the Government of Telangana for whom the farmers’ interests are on top
priority have been thinking to add more and more welfare measures in future.
The government wants to do away with any Act the provisions of which are
against the interests of 97% of small and marginal farmers. There shall not be
any place for corruption in any activity in which a farmer is involved, be it,
land registration or obtaining an encumbrance certificate or mutation process
or getting pattaadar passbook or any other connected activity.
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