Requested to intervene in providing assistance for the damage caused by unseasonal rains and hailstorm
Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan today in New Delhi called on the President Shri Pranab Mukherjee and apprised him of the unseasonal rains and hailstorm which damaged the crops ready for harvesting in the state. Apart from this houses, livestock, infrastructure including roads, electrical transformers etc. has been badly affected He said that he had met and informed Prime Minister, Union Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister of the gravity of situation, but till date central government has neither given any form of assistance nor any assurance . in the meeting with President, CM Shri Chouhan added that Union Government attitude on such a sensitive issue is not at all co-operating.
Looking at the gravity of the situation Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan requested the President to intervene in this matter seeing and declare this as National Calamity and immediately. Shri Chouhan demanded that relief package to the tune of Rs. 5000 crore is given at the earliest and requested the Central Government to immediately send a study team to assess the damage caused by excessive rains and hailstorm. Shri Chouhan informed that almost all the 51 districts have been badly affected by unseasonal rains and hailstorm. About 10 thousand villages have been affected. State Government from its own resources has taken out Rs. 2000 crore as interim relief and is being distributed among the affected farmers. Excessive rainfall has very badly affected the gram (Chana) crops, wheat, vegetables and horticulture crops. He said that in the last 2 years the state is producing record wheat and winning Krishi Karman Award for last two years consecutively. This year also, we hoped to maintain the record and beat Punjab and Haryana in wheat production.
Shri Chouhan informed that earlier also in the month of August, September and October 2013 state has witnessed massive floods due to excessive monsoon rains. This has adverse affect on Soyabean crop. A detailed memorandum in this regard was prepared as per National Disaster Relief Fund norms and was submitted to Govt. of India on October 2013 for seeking additional Central assistance of Rs. 575 cr. Central study team recommended Rs. 388 cr., but the central govt. has not released even this amount till date.
Shri Chouhan also demanded to declare the Minimum Support Price for gram as Rs. 3100 per quintal by Central Government. He informed that gram crops is ready. Under the price support policy NAFED is the agency of Govt. of India for procurement of gram under MSP. He said that gram crop is ready to come in the market and the market price is Rs. 2200-2300 per quintal. He urged that Central Government should ensure through NAFED that gram is procured from farmers at the rate of Rs. 3100 per quintal as this will help the affected farmer to get the dues.
