Pay farmer labour costs under NREGA– TIMES OF INDIA
Nagpur: The state government appointed task force on farm distress has suggested that farmers be given a grant equivalent to 100 days’ wages from Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee (NREGA) scheme so as to meet the rising costs of agriculture labour.
Kishore Tiwari, director general of the Vasantrao Naik Shetkari Swawalambi Mission — the task force constituted a couple of months ago to address the issue of farmers suicide and agriculture crisis that is causing distress in dry lands of Vidarbha and Marathwada, has made this latest recommendation to the government.
“Farm labour costs are ever increasing and make a big chunk of input costs for cultivation and more so with low level of mechanization in these two regions. When NREGA funds are anyway used to pay for labour in digging of farm wells, why not for other farm labour,” asked Tiwari. “It would be a big help if 100 days of wages under NREGA are deposited in farmer bank account so that the costs for labour for a season are met,” said Tiwari.
He has also made a recommendation that the banks should consider a five-year term for farm loans after assessing borrowers land costs and other securities. This would give farmer more financial freedom.
In yet another recommendation made by the mission, Tiwari has suggested speedier implementation of price stabilization fund in order to protect farmers from distress sale of his produce in the event of price fluctuation. The mission is also undertaking task of training gram sevaks, police patils, health workers so that they provide timely assistance to farmers on various aspects and thus reduce the stress levels. They could also help farmers wean away from cash crops with poor pricing power to food and pulses crops that are good demand. These recommendations were made during a recent review meeting called by the chief minister.
