Kerala will extend all possible help to the flood-hit Tamil Nadu in the impact of Cyclone Michaung, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
Addressing media persons after the morning meeting in Thrissur on Tuesday, Mr. Vijayan said steps have been taken to move essential goods, including life-saving drugs, to 5,000-odd relief camps in Tamil Nadu.
Responding to T.N. Prathapan MP’s notice for adjournment motion in Parliament against the Centre’s “hostility” towards Kerala, the Chief Minister said it was a welcome move.
Answering a question, Mr. Vijayan said it is up to the Congress to decide whether Rahul Gandhi should contest from Wayanad. The LDF, however, will have a candidate there, he said. The BJP will not make any impact in Thrissur this time, too, he added.
The Chief Minister said the neo-liberal policies which have been implemented vigorously by the BJP government at the Centre are affecting farmers the most.
“Lakhs of farmers are committing suicide in the country. Farmers are at loggerheads with the government. However, the LDF government has been implementing many farmer-friendly projects in the State, even under severe financial crunch. The State has to get ₹790 crore as the Centre’s share for paddy procurement. The objective is to make the State self-sufficient in agriculture,” he said.
Minimum support price was declared for 16 vegetables. Paddy is procured at a higher price than the country’s average price. While paddy is procured at ₹20.40 in the rest of the country, the State is giving ₹28.20 to farmers. Various projects such as Kerala Gramam, Subiksha Keralam and crop insurance scheme were implemented. These initiatives have improved production, marketing and farmers’ welfare, he said.
Smart Krishi Bhavans
“Krishi Bhavans will be upgraded to Smart Krishi Bhavans to provide service for farmers in production, marketing and value addition with the support of modern technologies. Around 30,000 farmers groups across the State have been formed to create more job opportunities. The government is trying to transform the farm sector in tune with the modern times,” he said.
As part of encouraging paddy cultivation, seeds, manure and bio-pesticides have been distributed to farmers. The royalty for formers has been increased from ₹2,000 a hectare to ₹3,000 to discourage the tendency to convert paddy fields for other purposes. The Organic Farming Mission is a project to encourage scientific organic farming by preserving soil and the environment. With these efforts, the area under paddy cultivation has improved from 1.7 lakh hectare to 2.5 lakh hectare, he noted.
