Farmers not getting agri insurance benefit, admits Agri Min

Monsoon session of Chhattisgarh Vidhan Sabha 

Raipur, July 17, 2012


Agriculture Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu has admitted that the farmers were not getting benefit of agriculture insurance scheme as they should get. “Yes! We admit this but we will improve the situation in future,” he said during debate on matter of urgent public importance under rule 139 at state Assembly on Tuesday.

“This is the first time that we have started making provision of agriculture insurance scheme at revenue inspector (RI) circle level and soon we will implement this at panchayat level,” he said.

“We will ensure that the deserving farmers get agriculture insurance claim. Hence, if required, we will do outsourcing of the insurance scheme,” he added.

He informed the House that the government had already commenced climate-based agriculture insurance in five districts as pilot project. “Soon, we will implement this method in all the districts,” he said.

He claimed that the government had improved fertiliser allocation system. On black marketing of fertilisers he said the government would take stern action against the black marketeers and send them to jail.

On opposition’s suggestion to start a fertiliser factory in the state he said the land and other provisions had already been made at Korba for the factory and would surely start it in near future.

He said agriculture would always be on government’s priority.

6 hrs power cut to check water table decline: CM

Raipur, July 17, 2012


In his address, Chief Minister Raman Singh justified six-hour power cut in rural areas and said it was being done to prevent further decline of groundwater table. “The power cut is only for six hours. This is must to ensure that the water level may not dip by 500-600 feet. We do not want Chhattisgarh to become another Malwa. The farmers get uninterrupted power supply in the remaining 18 hours for agriculture purpose,” he said.

“Ninety percent of the state’s population depends on Agriculture. To maintain growth in agriculture sector, we need to bring down input costs. For this, we are making continuous attempts,” he said.

He said the farmers were taking eight time more loan due to government’s initiatives in bringing down input costs in farm sector.  

He informed the House that the agriculture share in state GDP is 6.2% which is double the agriculture share of country’s GDP.

“Even the  Centre has given us award because of our policy and hard work of the farmers,” he said.