Source: The Sangai Express / TNN
New Delhi, July 21 2009:
The Centre is prepared to provide financial help to drought-struck States to offset the adverse effects of a poor Monsoon, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar told Lok Sabha on Monday while replying to a discussion on the issue.
The Minister's reply came in tandem with the admission that the Government felt the Monsoon situation was "very serious" in Bihar, UP, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana and even parts of Tamil Nadu.
He also said that he was "concerned" about the drop in paddy acreage as compared to last year but he mentioned that coarse cereals and oilseeds were higher this year.
While assuring the House on doing his best, Pawar said States which declare "drought conditions" will be provided all help, since it is under the State's and not the Centre's jurisdiction to declare it.
Since there was also a suggestion from various parties to send out Central teams to survey the situation, Pawar assured the House that if the States asked for Central teams to be sent he would be happy to do so.
If such teams report that the drought situation needs to be acted upon, the Agriculture Minister promised that he would act immediately to provide all financial help.
He named States like Manipur, Nagaland, Assam, Jharkhand and Madhya Pradesh which had already declared some districts and talukas as drought hit.
Lauding Punjab and Haryana for taking interest in wheat and rice purchase from farmers, Pawar said problems arise where States do not pay attention to procurement process.
Intervening in a debate on demands for grants for the Agriculture ministry in Lok Sabha, he said, "Problems arise (in procurement) where State Governments do not pay attention." He, however, did not name any State while referring to the problem.
Pawar made these observations when Rajiv Ranjan Singh (JD-U) urged the Government to ask Food Corporation of India (FCI) to buy wheat and rice directly from state governments.
Terming FCI as a "Gangotri of corruption", Singh said the agency takes the services of contractors instead of buying the produce directly from farmers.
Pawar lauded states like Haryana and Punjab where the procurement is carried out directly by state governments.
"In Punjab and Haryana, maximum purchases are made.
The state governments do the purchase and there is no problem," he said.