Agriculture Minister B.C. Patil said in Belagavi on Monday that the Union government has appreciated the State government’s scheme of self-assessment of crop loss by farmers and to link it to the Bhoomi software tool. “Farmers are happy that they can assess loss and due to linkage, loss-related data gets uploaded to their Records Of Rights,Tenancy And Crops (RTCs). The Union government is considering recommending this model to other States,’’ Mr. Patil said. The State government is willing to consider forming a Chikkodi farm district on the lines of Chikkodi educational district, he said. He was responding to a request from BJP MLA from Kudchi P. Rajeev. Mr. Rajeev said that having a Joint Director of Agriculture for Chikkodi region will lead to more efficient administration of the department. Decentralised decision-making and implementation of programmes and schemes will help farmers. Now-a-days, farmers from far-off places such as Athani, Nippani and Chikkodi have to travel to Belagavi for getting benefits and details from the Agriculture Department office. “We could do well to take the department to the doorsteps of the people. The Education Department’s decision to divide the district to create Chikkodi educational district has yielded positive results,” Mr. Rajeev said. Mr. Patil said that he did not know if such farm districts could be created. “However, it is a good idea. I will discuss it with officers and take a decision,’’ he said.

He said that the government is awaiting the Finance Department’s approval for creation of posts of assistant directors in the newly formed taluks. “Once that happens, the government will set up new Raitha Samparka Kendras in the new taluks,” he said.

Minister for Women and Child Empowerment Shashikala Jolle complained that the government had not cleared the subsidy arrears of farmers who had bought subsidised equipment from the department. MLA Mahantesh Dodagoudar said that farmers of Kittur and Bailhongal taluks are being discriminated against by officers as far as payment of crop insurance relief is concerned.

The officers told the Minister that there was no scarcity of seed or fertilizer in the district and the Minister warned them of action if their negligence caused scarcity of farm inputs.

Source - https://www.thehindu.com