Farmers Given Poor Quality Equipment, Moneylenders Still Rule The Roost
Prafulla Marpakwar I TNN
Mumbai: A week ago, deputy chief minister R R Patil took time off from the affairs of the crisisridden home department to see for himself the plight of the debtridden farmers and present status of the prime minister and chief minister’s package drafted to tackle the unprecedented agrarian crisis in Vidarbha.
At the end of the three-day whirlwind tour, which included prolonged interaction with distressed farmers, villagers and senior officials of revenue, forest, agriculture and irrigation department, Patil found that there was complete lack of coordination at the grassroots level, rampant corruption in selection of milch cattle and sale of agricultural equipment. He also found that most of the bureaucrats in the six most affected districts—Amravati, Akola, Washim, Buldhana, Wardha and Yavatmal—and in the corridors of power were to some extent misleading the chief minister and PMO over the implementation of the multicrore package.
Despite specific orders, the cooperation department had miserably failed to curb the activities of private moneylenders. “I think there is complete lack of coordination. There is no human touch to the state government’s efforts to help the farmers in distress. So far, no one from the government had called on such families, whose members committed suicide owing to high loans,’’ Patil observed.
Accompanied by district administration officials, Patil toured select villages in Wardha, Amravati and Yavatmal districts that were worst-hit by the agrarian crisis. In each village, Patil’s first visit was to a house where a farmer had committed suicide. This was followed by visit to a check dam constructed under the PM’s package, meeting villagers at the gram sabha and then a review meeting at the district headquarters, which was attended by the district collector, chief executive of the zilla parishad, divisional commissioner and elected representatives of the assembly and parliament.
Much to his shock and surprise, Patil found that while the villagers were well-versed with the government schemes, particularly the distribution of milch cattle and agricultural equipment, construction of borewells, insurance scheme, check dams,
powers of the financial institutions, Sanjay Gandhi scheme for poor and destitute, top bureaucrats accompanying him were illinformed on the present status of these schemes in the respective villages. As Patil posed a volley of questions to the bureaucrats, they were left speechless. Every one had a common answer, “I am new. I joined a week ago.’’ At the end, Patil had no option but to say that the information should be kept ready at least on his next visit.
Patil’s visit confirmed the rampant corruption in the region. Almost in all meetings with the villagers, the farmers displayed poor quality agricultural equipment given to them under the PM’s package. “I am ordering
a CID probe into the purchase of agricultural equipment,’’ Patil said, when a record number of farmers showed him poor quality equipment.
On check dams, too, Patil was stunned when the farmers informed him that on the eve of his visit, the local administration had used tankers to pour water into the dams. The case of distribution of milch cattle was more or less similar. The farmers, in the presence of officials of the agriculture department, informed the deputy chief minister that they (officials) had made it mandatory for them to buy the cattle from a particular trader.
On the role of private moneylenders, too, Patil came down heavily on the district administration. While the government claimed that it had completely stopped the activities of private moneylenders, farmers said that even today, they were giving loans at a rate ranging between 20% and 30%. “Mr Patil, your claims on private moneylenders are hollow,’’ a farmer told a meeting in Deoli village, the home town of minister of state for public health Ranjit Kamble, who was also present.
Patil said at a time when his government had achieved a dubious distinction with the largest number of suicides—3,929 since January 1, 2001—it was high time a policy is drafted to tackle the agrarian crisis. “We will have to post dedicated officials, who will accept the challenge to convince farmers to desist from suicide.’’
At the end of the three-day whirlwind tour, which included prolonged interaction with distressed farmers, villagers and senior officials of revenue, forest, agriculture and irrigation department, Patil found that there was complete lack of coordination at the grassroots level, rampant corruption in selection of milch cattle and sale of agricultural equipment. He also found that most of the bureaucrats in the six most affected districts—Amravati, Akola, Washim, Buldhana, Wardha and Yavatmal—and in the corridors of power were to some extent misleading the chief minister and PMO over the implementation of the multicrore package.
Despite specific orders, the cooperation department had miserably failed to curb the activities of private moneylenders. “I think there is complete lack of coordination. There is no human touch to the state government’s efforts to help the farmers in distress. So far, no one from the government had called on such families, whose members committed suicide owing to high loans,’’ Patil observed.
Accompanied by district administration officials, Patil toured select villages in Wardha, Amravati and Yavatmal districts that were worst-hit by the agrarian crisis. In each village, Patil’s first visit was to a house where a farmer had committed suicide. This was followed by visit to a check dam constructed under the PM’s package, meeting villagers at the gram sabha and then a review meeting at the district headquarters, which was attended by the district collector, chief executive of the zilla parishad, divisional commissioner and elected representatives of the assembly and parliament.
Much to his shock and surprise, Patil found that while the villagers were well-versed with the government schemes, particularly the distribution of milch cattle and agricultural equipment, construction of borewells, insurance scheme, check dams,
powers of the financial institutions, Sanjay Gandhi scheme for poor and destitute, top bureaucrats accompanying him were illinformed on the present status of these schemes in the respective villages. As Patil posed a volley of questions to the bureaucrats, they were left speechless. Every one had a common answer, “I am new. I joined a week ago.’’ At the end, Patil had no option but to say that the information should be kept ready at least on his next visit.
Patil’s visit confirmed the rampant corruption in the region. Almost in all meetings with the villagers, the farmers displayed poor quality agricultural equipment given to them under the PM’s package. “I am ordering
a CID probe into the purchase of agricultural equipment,’’ Patil said, when a record number of farmers showed him poor quality equipment.
On check dams, too, Patil was stunned when the farmers informed him that on the eve of his visit, the local administration had used tankers to pour water into the dams. The case of distribution of milch cattle was more or less similar. The farmers, in the presence of officials of the agriculture department, informed the deputy chief minister that they (officials) had made it mandatory for them to buy the cattle from a particular trader.
On the role of private moneylenders, too, Patil came down heavily on the district administration. While the government claimed that it had completely stopped the activities of private moneylenders, farmers said that even today, they were giving loans at a rate ranging between 20% and 30%. “Mr Patil, your claims on private moneylenders are hollow,’’ a farmer told a meeting in Deoli village, the home town of minister of state for public health Ranjit Kamble, who was also present.
Patil said at a time when his government had achieved a dubious distinction with the largest number of suicides—3,929 since January 1, 2001—it was high time a policy is drafted to tackle the agrarian crisis. “We will have to post dedicated officials, who will accept the challenge to convince farmers to desist from suicide.’’
URL : http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Daily/skins/TOI/navigator.asp?Daily=TOIM&login=default