JOIN USA flood of woes, drought of ideas welcome the study team
The demand for water by farmers dominated their interaction with the Central drought study team in Harjenahalli villages under Kurugal Gram Panchayat of the taluk on Tuesday.
While the men listed out the problems one by one, the focus of the women’s interaction was the water problem. Pravesh Sharma, the head of the drought study team, seemed to be able to comprehend while the farmers were pouring out their woes in Kannada.
The officials were gathering information like the livestock count in the villages, whether the fodder bank has been set up and arrangements made for the supply of drinking water. The officials also collected information like how many people had been given the cards under the MGNREGS and how many had got the jobs. They also sought details of migration of villagers to the towns and cities. But local officials were seen struggling to give the relevant information.
The central team was in for a shock when it was told to them by the off icials that only three people had been given farm loans through the agriculture produce co-operative societies. The villagers complained that the manager of the lead bank branch in Kyalanur does not respond properly, whenever they apply for farm loans, forcing them to take loans from other sources at high interest rates.
The team members were told that only one borewell functions for a population of 750 in Kurugal village. As many as 300 people have been forced to migrate in search of jobs. They are procuring fodder spending Rs 15,000 to Rs 17,000 from far off places like Varthur and Hoskote. The villagers sought a project to provide permanent solution to the drinking water problem.
Villagers complained that Tuesday was the first time when top level officials had visited them and no woman had been provided employment under MGNREGS.