“Compensation to Farmers due to Natural Calamities”
For a farmer nothing is more dangerous than rain or hail during the harvesting season. Right now the crops are standing in the agriculture fields , ready to be harvested , processed & food grains stored. Since yesterday it has been raining with hail storms in many districts of India. Our friends who are in agriculture have informed about the extent of damage. In 2-3 hours the crop yields would reduce to 10 % and many are crying. Most would be crying silently.
Government machinery is supposed to assess the damage and dispense compensation quickly.
However following problems persist :
1. Compensation rules come into play only if large area is affected i.e. if say 50 % of the area in a block affected. A block may have a population of about 100,000 people ( hundred thousand ) or holdings of about 10,000. So the rule is absurd that only if 50 % of the agriculture fields ( 5000 ) are affected the compensation can be given. If 1000 farmers are affected they will not compensate them.
2. Compensation amount is meager. The farmer normally earns about Rs 3000/- per acre whereas compensation is about Rs 1000/- ( lot of variation )
3. Compensation process may take about 2-3 months by which time farmers would have taken loans to meet his requirements and pay off the earlier debts for inputs
4. There is lot of corruption & harassment in this process leading to loss of time & money plus self-respect
5. Many farmers are hesitant to pursue it due to insults & harassment
What can we do ?
Raise this debate through
-newspapers & other media
-parliament & legislature
-appropriate forums
Create greater awareness about this through our circle at different level
When there is an Earth Quake in Gujarat etc. so many of us are moved;
Why are we not moved by equally large disasters but spread thinly ?
Pl do respond how we can contribute to reduction of this misery
Friends of Farmers - IIT Group set up by Ajay Kumar, India
Contact : fofiit@gmail.com
Mobile - 09329868850
Website - www.eajaykumar.com/ccv.htm
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