WITH ASSEMBLY elections scheduled in Uttar Pradesh next year, the Samajwadi Party government in state has started focusing on Bundelkhand — the region facing severe water crisis and where drought-like conditions occur every year.
On Tuesday, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav reached Lalitpur district in the region where he visited as many as six villages and took stock of the water crisis and arrangements made by the concerned departments to tackle the same. The CM’s visit comes just two weeks after his two-day tour to Mahoba and Chitrakoot districts where he had announced development works worth Rs 200 crore.
Last week, CM had directed installation of an additional 666 handpumps in the seven drought-hit districts of Bundelkhand, just a day after he allocated Rs 867.87 crore for farmers in parched areas of the state.
Meanwhile, UP Agriculture Minister Vinod Kumar alias Pandit Singh, too, has reached Banda district where he visited some villages promising help. On Wednesday, Pandit Singh will tour Hamirpur district in the region where he will interact with farmers. Also, from Wednesday onwards, 47 senior officials of agriculture department, including Principal Secretary, will be visiting each of 47 blocks of seven districts of Bundelkhand.
Pandit Singh is scheduled to launch a new scheme where about 2,000 farmers from different blocks of region would be given about Rs 10 crore subsidy for construction of ponds in their respective farms. Under the scheme, called ‘Khet Talab Yojana’, state government has offered to pay half the amount to construct a pond in the agriculture fields. The estimated cost to dig a pond is about Rs 1.05 lakh.
“While Chief Minister was in Lalitpur and I was in Banda, I have sent all senior officers and advisers to different districts of the region to visit villages and interact with farmers, take their applications and check whether they are getting the benefits of various schemes,” Pandit Singh told the Indian Express.
On his visit to Hamirpur due on Wednesday, the minister confirmed that he will give away subsidy to 2,000 farmers under the “Khet Talab Yojana”. “Our aim is that construction of one pond will help in alleviating water crisis in at least one hectare of its adjoining area.
Moreover, to ensure that there is no pilferage of funds, we will directly send about Rs 50,000 subsidy to the bank account of each beneficiary,” he added.
Mukesh Kumar Srivastava, Director Agriculture, who would be in Jalaun district of Bundelkhand on Wednesday, said, “In the past, big ponds were constructed for community purpose but this time it has been thought to engage farmers for construction of ponds on their personal farm land. The ponds will be 20 metre long, 22 metre wide and 3 metre deep”.
A senior officer, however, the construction of these ponds would not be of immediate help to the farmers, who will have to wait for the rains to fill them up.
Meanwhile, In Lalitpur, Akhilesh accused the Centre of turning a blind eye to drought-hit Bundelkhand and said his government will make a separate provision in the budget for the region if needed.
“No one can make allegations of bias against our government in distributing relief to the affected people. The government is distributing food grains from state funds. We are trying to help the people here without any contribution from Centre,” he said. Akhilesh said the state government is distributing packets of food grain, pulses, potatoes, oil, milk powder, salt and sugar.
He also inaugurated and laid foundation stone of as many as 12 development projects worth Rs 91 crore, which mainly included road projects. He also gave away relief packages to 1,500 beneficiaries, apart from giving 53 laptops to merit holder students.
Meanwhile, District Magistrate of Lalitpur, Rupesh Kumar informed that CM stopped at about six villages to ask locals about their problems. On getting complaints, he ordered inquiry at some places, and also directed the DM to give Lohia Awas to members of ‘Sahariya’ tribe in Garauli and Sehpur villages.