New committee to reassess crop production calculation in state

Taking the situation of farmers in the drought-ridden districts of Maharashtra into account, relief and rehabilitation minister Patangrao Kadam announced the constitution of a committee that will look at re-assessing the procedure of calculation of anewari, the final crop production percentage.

Taking the situation of farmers in the drought-ridden districts of Maharashtra into account, relief and rehabilitation minister Patangrao Kadam announced the constitution of a committee that will look at re-assessing the procedure of calculation of anewari, the final crop production percentage.

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The calculation helps in declaring areas as drought-ridden and formulation of measures to tackle it.

Expected to be set up within a week, the committee will comprise experts from the field of agriculture, local legislators, government officials and experts in drought assessment.

“Several committees, headed by Bhagwanrao Gaikwad and Narayan Rane, were constituted to deal with the same issue earlier too. But none of them could bring about a change in the policy and the calculation procedures,” said Kadam in the legislative council on Wednesday.

Local committees involving local legislators will be constituted in the drought-hit districts to see how the water situation can be improved. The committees will try to find ways to restart the defunct water systems and those that have been shut because of non-payment of electricity bills.

The department is getting a daily review of the situation from the collectors and divisional commissioners. “There will be adequate water and feed for livestock in these districts. There will be no migration,” he said.

“Our first government resolution on drought was on September 2011 and we have taken nine meetings since then. There is no question of waking up to it now,” he said.