MP announces farm sops in election year

In view of this year being an election year, MP Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced sops for farmers.

Prominent among them is a cut of 200 basis points in co-operative agri loans from the existing 7 per cent to 5 per cent, a waiver of 50 per cent of power dues of farmers and full exemption from penalties (if there is any) and a hike of Rs 100 per quintal in the minimum support price of wheat from Rs 1,000 per quintal to Rs 1,100 per quintal. Agri-consumers of the state will be issued monthly power bills twice a year.

Further, he has extended the existing power subsidy for farmers by slashing power tariff from Rs 1.20 per unit to 75 paise per unit. The state budget session will begin on February 25 and his government will make necessary provisions for the purpose.

To meet the rabi season demand, the state is purchasing additional power at Rs 10 per unit. Addressing farmers here today, Chouhan said his government had announced a power subsidy of Rs 700 crore for farmers and he was ready to shell out more without further assistance from the central government.

"The bank loans for agricultural purpose will be available at 5 per cent," he said. Following central guidelines, the state government had slashed interest rates from 11 per cent to 7 per cent last year by putting a burden of Rs 80 crore on the state exchequer.

He also announced a cut in fixed charge for 5 HP power-run irrigation pump connection from existing Rs 700 to Rs 375. "The farmers cannot arrange money on monthly basis and from now onwards a farmer will pay his power bills only twice a year," Chouhan said.

He also offered a grant of 50% on purchase of diesel pump set or power-run pump sets. A one-time grant of Rs 24000 will also be available for farmers on tube-well for irrigation purpose.

On health grants he said, "My government will pay medical expenses of farmers to an extent of Rs 80000 in case of an accident in the field and in sever cases the government will provide an assistance of Rs 1.50 lakh, those who will become handicapped during performing farming work will be offered an immediate relief of Rs 25000."

Blaming Centre for power outage during this rabi season, he said, Center has discontinued 400 MW Central quota with a malafied intention to create a power shortage in the state.

"The Central sector public sector undertaking BHEL," he further said, "has not completed our two power stations at Birsinghpur and Amarkantak as a result of which we are facing 720 MW power shortage."