<p>Faced with financial constraints, the government is exploring ways to provide irrigation benefits tailor-made to the needs of individual farmers belonging to all caste groups, but it looks unlikely for now.</p>.<p>This facility is currently available only for SC/ST agriculturists.</p>.<p>Individual benefits include lift irrigation, open wells and pipelines for farmlands. A farmer can apply with the minor irrigation department for any irrigation benefit for his or her land. </p>.<p>At present, funds from the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan (SCP-TSP) are used to provide individual irrigation benefits to SC/ST farmers.</p>.<p>The minor irrigation department has received 245 proposals from SC/ST farmers, mostly from north Karnataka, seeking individual irrigation facilities. This will cost the government nearly Rs 100 crore. </p>.<p>According to sources, there is pressure on the government to extend this to farmers of all communities. </p>.<p>Minor Irrigation Minister J C Madhuswamy told <em><span class="italic">DH</span></em> that some individual irrigation projects were taken up as an experiment to see if it was feasible to extend the benefit to non-SC/ST farmers. However, it did not make sense financially. </p>.<p>“We’re going slow because of financial constraints,” Madhuswamy said.</p>.<p>“We took up some projects in north Karnataka, but because of the finances involved, we aren’t scaling up.” </p>.<p>The experimental projects that were taken up need a separate policy to assess their efficiency and management, Madhuswamy added. </p>.<p>In fact, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, in his 2021-22 Budget, has promised a policy “with suitable guidelines” for “the systematic operation and management of all lift irrigation projects”.</p>.<p>The government is under a similar pressure to give non-SC/ST farmers a hike in the cash benefit for constructing cattle sheds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).</p>.<p>To build a cattle shed, SC/ST farmers get Rs 43,500 and those from other communities get Rs 19,625. Sources said this caused ‘heartburn’ among non-SC/ST farmers. </p>
<p>Faced with financial constraints, the government is exploring ways to provide irrigation benefits tailor-made to the needs of individual farmers belonging to all caste groups, but it looks unlikely for now.</p>.<p>This facility is currently available only for SC/ST agriculturists.</p>.<p>Individual benefits include lift irrigation, open wells and pipelines for farmlands. A farmer can apply with the minor irrigation department for any irrigation benefit for his or her land. </p>.<p>At present, funds from the Scheduled Castes Sub Plan and Tribal Sub Plan (SCP-TSP) are used to provide individual irrigation benefits to SC/ST farmers.</p>.<p>The minor irrigation department has received 245 proposals from SC/ST farmers, mostly from north Karnataka, seeking individual irrigation facilities. This will cost the government nearly Rs 100 crore. </p>.<p>According to sources, there is pressure on the government to extend this to farmers of all communities. </p>.<p>Minor Irrigation Minister J C Madhuswamy told <em><span class="italic">DH</span></em> that some individual irrigation projects were taken up as an experiment to see if it was feasible to extend the benefit to non-SC/ST farmers. However, it did not make sense financially. </p>.<p>“We’re going slow because of financial constraints,” Madhuswamy said.</p>.<p>“We took up some projects in north Karnataka, but because of the finances involved, we aren’t scaling up.” </p>.<p>The experimental projects that were taken up need a separate policy to assess their efficiency and management, Madhuswamy added. </p>.<p>In fact, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, in his 2021-22 Budget, has promised a policy “with suitable guidelines” for “the systematic operation and management of all lift irrigation projects”.</p>.<p>The government is under a similar pressure to give non-SC/ST farmers a hike in the cash benefit for constructing cattle sheds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS).</p>.<p>To build a cattle shed, SC/ST farmers get Rs 43,500 and those from other communities get Rs 19,625. Sources said this caused ‘heartburn’ among non-SC/ST farmers. </p>
