'Centre not releasing funds for rain-hit MP farmers'

A Madhya Pradesh minister on Friday said the Centre was subjecting the state to step-motherly treatment in allocating funds for farmers affected by heavy rains.

MP Agriculture Minister Sachin Yadav said the BJP-led Union government had disbursed funds to Karnataka and Bihar, where the saffron party is part of the ruling dispensation.

"The Centre has released funds to BJP ruled states Karnataka and Bihar, but despite two visits of the Central team here, Madhya Pradesh is yet to get relief funds from the Centre," he told reporters here.

Yadav said the state has sought Rs 6,621 crore from the Centre as 55 lakh farmers have been affected due to excessive rains, and crops over an area of 60 lakh hectares have been destroyed.

He claimed MP's farmers have not got benefits of the Centre's Crop Insurance Scheme, despite the state depositing its share of Rs 509 crore in the scheme.

Instead, he said, the Centre is demanding dues of Rs 2,300 crore, which was not paid by the previous BJP government in the state.

"MP Chief Minister Kamal Nath has already met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah in this regard. The BJP-led Centre has been insensitive to farmers of Madhya Pradesh just because it is ruled by the Congress," he alleged.

Yadav said the Centre had not disbursed old dues of Rs 1,107 crore to farmers under the Bhavantar Yojana either.

He claimed the Centre has issued a circular preventing states from offering bonus to farmers.

"The MP government has decided to give bonus of Rs 160 per quintal to farmers and the move is under process," he added.

Speaking on progress of the Kamal Nath government's farm loan waiver in MP, Yadav said loans worth Rs 7,000 crore of over 20 lakh farmers had been written off and the second phase, covering another 12 lakh farmers, will be launched soon.