Welfare fund, interest-free loans to rescue farmers from distress

JAIPUR: After announcing loan waiver in December last year, chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday announced the setting up of a Rs 1000-crore Krushak Kalyan Kosh (farmers welfare fund) to help them to get remunerative prices for their produce.

He said the government’s endeavour was to introduce the concept of ‘ease of doing farming’ on the lines of ‘ease of doing business’.
In his budget speech, Gehlot announced that farmers would also get interest free loans for agriculture for which a provision of Rs 150 crore had been made.
On the lines of the Union budget announcement, chief minister Gehlot said the government would promote ‘zero budget natural farming’ using traditional methods which uses less water and bio-fertilizers.
He said this would be taken up as a pilot project in 36-gram panchayats in Banswara, Tonk and Sirohi at a cost of Rs 10 crore.
To ensure uninterrupted supply of fertilisers, advance storage of 1 lakh metric tonne of di-ammonium phosphate (DAP) and 2 lakh metric tonne of urea will be ensured.
A ‘krishi gyan dhara programme’ has also been proposed to educate farmers on latest agriculture techniques for which a provision of Rs 2 crore has been earmarked.
A new policy for promotion of agriculture processing, trade and export is also on the anvil. A kisan sewa portal has been launched and farmers could get information regarding various schemes in the portal.