BHOPAL: In a relief to the weather-beaten farmers across Madhya Pradesh, the newly harvested wheat which has lost its lustre and thickness -- due to recent spells of untimely rains and hailstorms – will also be procured during the government procurement exercise that commenced recently.
“Directions have been issued to all government procurement centres to purchase from wheat farmers, even the wheat which has lost its lustre and thickness, on being hit hard by the recent spell of inclement weather in many districts of the state,” MP home and public relations minister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday.
Importantly, just a few days back, the state government had also decided to buy from farmers’ wheat which is up to 14% moist.
The latest development is in line with the central government’s recent relaxation of norms for grains with lustre losses to be purchased from farmers in MP.
On Tuesday, while chairing the state cabinet meeting, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan detailed his council of ministers about the findings of the ongoing survey of losses to Rabi crop by untimely rains-hailstorm in various parts of the state last month.
“Though the outcome of the ongoing survey is awaited from 3-4 districts, the findings which are with the government till now reveal that crops on around 70,000 hectares have been hit by the inclement weather. Keeping this in mind a relief sum of Rs 64 crore has already been earmarked,” Chouhan said.
Last month while taking stock of the damage caused to crops in Sagar and Vidisha districts of Bundelkhand and Central MP respectively, the CM had announced compensating the farmers (who’ve lost over 50% of crops) at the rate of Rs 32,000 per hectare, which he claimed was highest anywhere in the country. In addition to it, the weather-beaten farmers would also be indemnified under the crop insurance scheme, resultantly offsetting their total loss of Rabi crop.
The CM also asked his minster colleagues (particularly those who are guardian ministers of untimely rain and hailstorm-hit districts) to personally ensure that cross loss survey is done efficiently, so that the compensation money (excluding the crop insurance sum) can be credited into the weather-beaten farmers’ bank accounts through a single click in coming days.
“All ministers of affected districts should also ensure that the process of indemnification of the concerned farmers under the crop insurance scheme too is accelerated,” the CM said.
Out of the 52 districts, standing and newly harvested Rabi crops in around 20 districts of central MP, Bundelkhand, Malwa-Nimar, Mahakoshal, Vindhya and Gwalior-Chambal regions were hit badly by multiple spells of rains, hailstorms and high-velocity winds last month.
Other important decisions of MP cabinet