Rain deficit: ₹2,000 per acre for kharif, horticulture crops in Hry
The chief minister criticised former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, accusing him of politicising every issue and misleading people with false statements.
The Haryana Council of Ministers, which met under the chairmanship of chief minister Nayab Singh Saini here on Thursday, decided to give ₹2,000 per acre “one-time bonus” pertaining to all kharif and horticulture crops to the cultivators of the state amid high input cost due to rain deficit. The financial implication of this decision is around ₹1,300 crore, a government spokesperson said.
The first release of the bonus will be paid by August 15 for all crops registered on Meri Fasal Mera Byora (MFMB) to the farmers, who have or will be registered by August 14. “The farmers and other kisan organisations of the state were raising issues of high input costs due to adverse weather conditions this year for kharif crops,” an official spokesperson said.
“This year, heatwaves/stress led to more water consumption and other crop-maintaining inputs. It has also been observed that there is a deficit in rain by 40%, which increased the input cost,” the spokesperson said.
Pests and diseases can also cause significant crop damage, which is indirectly related to climate conditions. Pest and disease occurrences often coincide with extreme weather events and anomalous weather conditions. “To protect crops against these effects, farmers’ input costs are higher this kharif season. Therefore, accepting the demand of the state’s farmers, the government has decided to give bonuses for kharif crops,” the spokesperson said.
“Between June 4 and July 29 less rainfall was received, forcing farmers to spend more on tube wells and other resources. Due to the additional costs for crop production, the production cost of crops has increased,” Saini said while addressing the mediapersons after the cabinet meeting.
The chief minister criticised former CM Bhupinder Singh Hooda, accusing him of politicising every issue and misleading people with false statements. Saini said Hooda had ignored the Swaminathan Commission’s recommendations during his tenure and now speaks of farmer welfare.
“Congress has neither the policy nor the intention to do anything for farmers,” the chief minister said, pointing out that the government is continuously taking decisions to ensure welfare of public.
LPG cylinder at ₹500
The cabinet also approved the implementation of the new LPG scheme for the BPL (below poverty line) families registered as LPG consumers, including those under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY). The benefit is to be given with effect from August 1.
Under this scheme, all the registered BPL families of the state will be provided up to 12 cylinder refills per annum at ₹500 per cylinder (14.2 kg domestic cylinder). Also, to promote women empowerment, the LPG subsidy amount will be transferred into the bank account of the eldest female member of the family. If there is no female member above the age of 18 years in a family, the subsidy will be transferred into the bank account of the eldest male member of the family.
“More than 49 lakh families will benefit from this scheme. The government will bear ₹1,457 crore expenditure to benefit the BPL families,” the spokesperson said.
Notably, it was on Thursday that the CM, while addressing the people at a state-level event on Hariyali Teej in Jind, had announced that under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, beneficiary families in Haryana will now receive gas cylinders for ₹500.
More registration time for societies
The cabinet approved amendment to Haryana Registration and Regulations of Societies Rules, 2012 by extending the time limit to obtain new registration numbers by the societies currently registered under Societies Registration Act, 1860.
This extension will be implemented through a notification and will be subject to the payment of re-registration fees as prescribed in rules. “Despite multiple extensions and efforts, a substantial number of societies have yet to transition to the new regulatory framework. Initially, 86,717 societies were registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. Out of these, only 12,923 societies have re-registered under the HRRS Act, 2012, leaving 73,981 societies pending re-registration,” the spokesperson said.