JOIN USDespite having funds, the Agriculture department in the district could spend just 11.47 per cent of the funds sanctioned under ‘Krishi Bhagya’ scheme due to various reasons.
Funds
The scheme intends at encouraging farmers to construct ponds (polyhouse and non polyhouse) on drylands and harvest rainwater. For the year 2014-15, Rs 31.72 crore had been earmarked for the scheme, but Rs 36.40 lakh was spent.
The target was to construct 60 polyhouses — each covering an area of half an acre and costing Rs 25 lakh — and 1,760 non-polyhouses.
The department received 50 applications for polyhouses, but only 12 farmers have agreed to construct them as 50 per cent of the expenses have to be met by the farmers. Nobody has started the works so far.
For non-polyhouses, the subsidy for general farmers is 80 per cent, while it is 90 per cent for SC and ST community farmers. Besides, 80 per cent subsidy is extended for up to 5 HP pumpsets, while 50 per cent subsidy is provided for 2 HP solar pumpsets.
Even though all the 1,760 beneficiaries had been selected, only 773 came forward to construct the ponds. Finally only 467 farmers completed the works and Rs 36.40 lakh has been remitted to their accounts under RTGS.
Joint Director for Agriculture Rajasulochana said, farmers were finding it difficult to construct polyhouses for water harvesting, as they were expensive.
However, awareness is being created among the farming community about their long-terms benefits of polyhouses, he added.