Farmers In The Grip Of One Of The Worst Economic Crises In Recent History

Badal Seeks Rs. 2380 Crore Package For Punjab Farmers; To Meet PM

5 Dariya News

Chandigarh/New Delhi 02-Aug-2012

The Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today sought  Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh's "urgent, immediate and effective intervention" for a central package of Rs. 2380 crore for the beleaguered Punjab farmers reeling under one of the worst Monsoon failures in recent history. The Chief Minister’s impassioned plea for saving the Punjab farmers came in a memorandum to the Prime Minister. Badal is likely to meet the Prime Minister shortly to press for an immediate relief of the much needed package. Badal pointed out that there has been crippling 65% deficit in monsoon up to July 25 this year. "The country at large and Punjab and the North West region of the country are in the throes of one of the worst droughts since the 1960s. Worse, the forecast for the remaining stretch of the monsoon period holds out no hope for the Kharif season. The timing of the rainfall deficit has dealt a crushing blow to the peasantry in Punjab as it hit them at the sowing season." said Badal in a memorandum submitted to the Prime Minister.  The Chief Minister said that the treatment meted out to the leading agricultural state of the country has been shocking. "We have been seeking a comprehensive economic package to save the nation’s savior. Unfortunately, even the financial packages announced for farmers in the country have by-passed the country’s leading agricultural state. All this has virtually broken the back of agriculture and agriculturists in the state." said the Chief Minister. Badal described the Monsoon stricken present juncture as "one of   the most critical points of time when farming and farmers in Punjab and the overall food security of the country are face to face with a crisis of frightening magnitude," and said that because of this the farmers have had to put in massive investments to save the paddy crops from drying up and the country from an impending famine reminiscent of the days when India had to virtual beg for food in the comity of nations. “The country at large and Punjab and the North West region of the country are in the throes of one of the worst droughts since the 1960s," he said.   The Chief Minister pointed out that there was no respite in sight for the farmers in near future too. "There has been a grave monsoon failure with a 65% rainfall deficit up to July 25, 2012.  Worse, the forecast for the remaining stretch of the monsoon period holds out no hope for the Kharif season." He said that although Punjab had for long been advocating that the country’s bread winner, who has bailed the nation out of famines and the disgrace of the legacy of PL480, is himself driven to the brink of humiliation and even death. "The farmer of Punjab has sacrificed two of his most precious assets at the altar of the national interest – land fertility and water. And he has always done it with dignity and without seeking any favors from any government.    Badal said that now not only his pride but even the life of the farmer now hangs by a slender thread. "If he is not saved, the country at large would be pushed back to the days of disgrace and hunger yet again.”  The Chief Minster said that the timing of the rain deficit had further pushed the peasantry and food security into a deep crisis. “The deficit has dealt a crushing blow to the peasantry in Punjab especially as it hit them at the sowing season, “said Badal in his Memorandum to the PM.  This has at a time when farming and the farmers were already in the grip of one of the worst economic crises in history. Across the country in general and in Punjab in particular, farmers faces a grave crisis, leading to back-breaking indebtedness and even suicides.  ”It is against this background that the on-going Monsoon crisis has hit the farmers at this critical juncture. Punjab’s farmers have never been known to give in to the challenges posed by nature and have always drained themselves off the last ounce of energy to save the country from hunger and disgrace. They are doing it again this year too. But all this has virtually broken their back, with the result that they themselves face a bleak future now." said Badal. Badal gave details of the extra expenditure being incurred by the state government, the Powercom and the state farmer to fight the crisis.   "The 65% rainfall deficit means that the farmers will have to incur an additional expenditure for sustaining the paddy crop transplanted in about 27.80 lakh hectares and other Kharif crops like Cotton and Maize etc. by using diesel to run pump sets.   The total extra expenditure to be incurred on this account will be approximately Rs.550 crore. Further, an additional expenditure of Rs.300 crore is likely to be incurred by the farmers for replacement of mono-block pump set operated tube-wells to submersible pump set operated deep tube-wells. A cumulative extra burden of Rs.850 crore is to be borne by the state farmers to save their crops.  Apart from this, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PCPL) will incur an additional expenditure of Rs.1530 crore by perting power from other sectors as well as purchasing power at a higher price.  Thus, additional cost on all these accounts will be Rs.2380 crore. The farmers and the government of Punjab are engaged in a massive effort to save the nation from any threat to its food security, said the CM.  "The state power authority, the PSPCL too is pulling all stops to ensure that the country’s targets are not missed and that the peasantry also is helped in this endeavour. But all this has put an unbearable stress on all three. There is an urgent need to come to the aid of the farmer in one is worst hours of crisis through a comprehensive economic package, taking into account the stress that the state government and the PSPCL also have to take in the process.