Making it clear that water cannot be released from the Mettur dam on the customary date of June 12 owing to poor storage, the State government unveiled in the Assembly on Friday, a ₹115 crore kuruvai crop package for the benefit of farmers.
The government reiterated that it had been strongly urging the Centre to set up the Cauvery Water Management Authority and the Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee at the earliest.
During Zero Hour in the House, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami, in a suo motu statement, said the storage in the Mettur dam stood at 39.42 feet, and hence, the release of water on the customary date of June 12 would not be possible.
“I am happy to announce the kuruvai package, which would help farmers cultivate short-term paddy and other crops,” Mr. Palaniswami said.
Subsidies galore
Three-phase power supply for 12 hours a day, subsidy for 15,857-quintal high-yielding paddy seeds, 50% subsidy for 870 power tillers and 860 rotavators, 90% subsidy for 500 solar-powered pump sets for farmers and subsidy for 2,000 diesel engines (Uzhavan mobile-based apps to be used for applying for the subsidy) are among the features of the package.
A 100% subsidy for mechanised farming, 50% subsidy for micro-nutrient mixtures for over 40,000 acres, a subsidy of ₹200 an acre for using zinc sulphate in 80,000 acres in delta districts, a subsidy of ₹600 an acre for using gypsum in 30,000-acre lands, 60% seed subsidy, 50% subsidy for water-soluble fertilizers and 100% subsidy for installing drip and sprinkler irrigation system for small and marginal farmers would be provided as part of the package.
The Chief Minister said the package would also include subsidies for green manure in 15,000 acres and for 1,500 PVC units (four-inch-wide, 6-metre-long, 30 PVC pipes in a unit).
“Agricultural labourers would be engaged in desilting of water bodies, farm ponds, horticulture and other agriculture-related work under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, for which ₹24.50 crore has been allocated,” Mr. Palaniswami added.