Agriculture Dept negligence delays Central aid to drought-hit farmers

Neena Sharma

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, May 3

The failure of the Department of Agriculture to do a proper assessment of the total crop loss suffered by farmers due to deficient rainfall during the rabi season has led to delay in Central assistance for mitigating the problems of the drought-hit farmers in Uttarakhand.

Though the state Department of Agriculture has prepared a preliminary report about the total farmland affected by rain deficiency during winter months, it has not been authenticated by the district-level revenue officials who make their assessment based on crop cutting.

“Patwaris have to verify our preliminary report in the district through on-the-spot surveys and then base their calculations on the per acre productivity formula. Unfortunately, the revenue officials have failed to undertake a survey, though the crop was harvested in April,” said Dr Ranbir Singh, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Agriculture.

Significantly, after undertaking a preliminary survey, the Department of Disaster Management had lobbed the ball in the court of the Agriculture Department on the issue of providing compensation.

The Department of Disaster Management can only provide preliminary relief to the farmers through its minimum relief package given through the State Disaster Relief Fund, (SDRF).

To that end, the Department of Disaster Management has based its report on the rain deficit data report of the IMD for the winter months, which states that there has been 50 per cent less rain fall in the winter months. This report has been submitted to the Governor for approval.

However, the task for accessing Central assistance is still not on the track as the combined reports of the departments of agriculture and the disaster management have to be presented together for evaluation purpose after which the Central teams are dispatched for carrying out their own final survey.

After the Central government relaxed the norms for declaring drought-hit areas from 50 per cent to 30 per cent, things have become easier for the states to access assistance from the state.

But lack of proper surveys continues to deter the state from accessing Central assistance.