Many await first payout of Rs6k farm dole

Nagpur: Two days before the Budget, the government hiked minimum support price (MSP) for crops by up to 9%. On the Budget eve, farmers TOI talked to said many are still waiting for their payout under the Rs6,000 dole declared before the elections.
The first instalment was released to some in March. A number of them are yet to get the next, and many have not received the first instalment either, they said. District administration officials were making hasty rounds to the villages to finalize the list of beneficiaries, said farmers whom TOI contacted. The dole initially limited to farmers with holding within 5 acres was later extended to all.
“The district collector had visited our village a day ago and information was collected about the farmers eligible for the Rs6000 grant. They are collecting the names, after the initial Rs2000 was paid to some before election. Not many have got any further amount after that,” said Amol Pakhare of Amdapur village in Buldhana district.
A senior official in revenue department said for those who got the first instalment in March, their next amount was due some time in June and it may be soon released. For the rest, data is being collected and would be updated in 2-3 days.
“A team from the Tehsildar’s office had toured the village asking the farmers to submit their names and land documents. The payment had started sometime in March but not more than 25 to 30 farmers in the village may have got the first instalment,” said Vasudev Khanderao of Akoli Jahangir village of Akola district.
Khanderao himself has not received the amount. Vijay Ingle of Akot Taluka in Akola said almost 75% of the farmers in his village including him had got the amount. Others spoke of a tardy progress on the front.
Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swavalamban Mission chairman Kishore Tiwari says much needs to be done to achieve the goal set by the Modi government for doubling farm income. “MSP hike was one small step but increasing prices of cash crops by Rs100 or Rs200 does not really help farmers. More market interventions are the need of the hour,” said Tiwari.
He wants a national regulator to be appointed to address farm credit and also reforms in risk management measures like crop insurance. “Soil fertility remains a clog in the wheel of farming, so the efficacy of soil cards needs to be examined,” he said.
After the drought the major demand by the farmers and farm activist was that government should increase subsidy for micro irrigation apart works from having a higher outlay for water conservation. Some also asked for a second round of debt waiver to cover those who have been left out.
“Currently, farmers get 50% subsidy for buying micro irrigation inputs. The amount is released after six months and the farmer has to pay initially. Not many can shell out the funds due to which they cannot avail the subsidy. There should be a provision of advance payment,” said Pakhre from Amdapur.
Other farmers from the region also raised similar demands, especially for having higher subsidy on irrigation inputs.
Farm activist Amitabh Pawde from Nagpur said the hike in MSP would only be beneficial if it is acutely implemented. “Still, the calculation of MSP is far from realistic. For example, the labour cost in Maharashtra is higher than Bihar. However, the government has a common yardstick for all, which keeps the MSP much below from level that can yield return on investment,” he said.
Vijay Jawandhia, a former Shetkari Sangathana activist, said the hike in MSP may hardly make any difference towards doubling the farmers’ income. Much needs to be done for increasing the farm labourers’ income too, he said.
WISH LIST
* Substantial hike in minimum support price
* Higher subsidy for buying micro irrigation inputs
* Provision of advance payment for the subsidy
* Second round of debt waiver to cover those who have been left out
* A higher outlay for water conservation
* Measures to increase income of farm labourers too