Send proposal to again distribute seeds to farmers, Minister tells Dharwad officials

Seeds sown for rabi season have been washed away in the wake of excess rainfall in the district

In the wake of excess rainfall washing away seeds sown during the rabi season, Labour Minister and district in-charge Santosh Lad has asked officials to send a proposal to the government for distributing seeds again to farmers at subsidised prices.

Chairing a review meeting under Karnataka Development Programmes (KDP) at the Dharwad Zilla Panchayat Hall on Tuesday, Mr. Lad said that excess rainfall has damaged kharif crop and washed away seeds sown for the rabi season.

Mr. Lad said that because of excess rainfall between October 1 and 14, standing crops in 25,000 hectares have been damaged, while incessant rainfall after October 14 has caused further crop damage.

The officials should conduct a proper survey and submit a report at the earliest to facilitate the release of compensation. As there is forecast for further rainfall, the officials should visit villages to assess the ground reality and help the public, he said.

The Minister also warned those officials who have failed to take up ground assessment and inspect damage caused to farmland and public assets of being dealt with strictly.

Pointing out that although there is no problem of water supply in the rural areas, he said that a lot of complaints are being received with regard to repair and maintenance of water treatment and purification plants.

The Minister suggested creating a dashboard to monitor the 476 RO plants in the district. Also, steps should be taken to repair roads damaged by excess rainfall, he said.

Kundgol MLA M.R. Patil said that as crops sown for the rabi season have been washed away, a re-survey should be carried out to assess the rain damage properly.

A joint team of agriculture, horticulture and revenue department officials should visit all fields under cultivation compulsorily, he said.

Deputy Commissioner Divya Prabhu G.R.J. spoke about the damage caused to private and public property in the district. As it has continued to rain after October 14, a re-survey of crop loss has been ordered, she told the meeting.

Making the introductory remarks, Chief Executive Officer of Dharwad Zilla Panchayat Swaroopa T.K. said that during 2024-25, the zilla panchayat has been allocated ₹ ,411 crore of which ₹701 crore has been released till September.

So far, ₹657 crore has been released for various works thus achieving a progress of 93%. Of the physical target of completing individual and community works, 88.77% works have been completed, she added.

Vice-president of the State Authority on Implementation of Guarantee Schemes R.S. Patil, Superintendent of Police Gopal Byakod, Deputy Commissioner of Police Mahaning Nandagavi, Municipal Commissioner Eshwar Ullagaddi and others were present.

Published - October 23, 2024 09:45 pm IST