Maharashtra government officials look for ways to double farmers’ income
After the discussion, the groups will make presentations in front of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who will join them on Saturday
With the BJP-led state government facing criticism for its failure to handle agrarian crisis, senior bureaucrats started a brainstorming session at Lonavla near Pune on Friday to discuss measures to double farmers’ income in the coming years.
The two-day session is a first-of-its kind, where different groups of senior officials are working on one problem each with an NGO and corporate firm to come up with innovative solutions that can be sponsored through corporate social responsibility (CSR).
The topics include rural development in water, road, electricity and health, generating employment, crime-free Maharashtra, housing and ease of doing business.
Sumit Mullick, chief secretary, who was also part of the team, said the exercise is an attempt to improve policies. “While working we don’t get much time to think. So we planned to put together senior officers, who are policy makers, along with collectors and municipal commissioners, heading the implementing agencies, to see how things can be changed,” Mullick told HT. “Expert NGOs have been invited to tell us where we have gone wrong and how to correct it.”
After the discussion, the groups will make presentations in front of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who will join them on Saturday. “The government will implement ideas that are feasible,” said Mullick.
Farmers in the state are in distress as they are not getting prices for their produce. They have been demanding implementation of Swaminathan Commission’s recommendation of minimum support price (MSP) -- 50% more than the average cost of production. The farmers in the state had gone on unprecedented strike, after which the CM declared a farm loan waiver package of Rs34,022 crore.