Subsidy on diesel,power for farmers

The subsidy on diesel — Re 1 — is going to cost the state exchequer Rs 30 crore annually. The power subsidy of 5 paisa per unit is to be used during off-peak period — between 10 pm and 5 pm.

According to agriculture department officials,the move will provide a breather to the farmers in the eight rain-deficit districts in South Bengal including Hooghly,North 24 Parganas,South 24 Parganas,Purulia,Bankura,Birbhum and West Midnapore. Already,there is a 31 per cent deficit in rainfall in these districts.

On Thursday,Dasgupta held a meeting with Agriculture minister Naren De and Disaster Management minister Mortaza Hussein to discuss the situation. In view of the rain deficit,the state is likely to announce these eight districts as drought-prone after August 15,Dasgupta later said.

According to agriculture department officials,Kharif crop is sown till August 15 and if 50 per cent of arable land in a district is not covered under cultivation the district is officially declared as drought-prone. The department is keeping tab on the progress of sowing and will come to a decision only after the second week of August.

So far,eight districts barring West Midnapore and South 24 Parganas have registered less than 50 per cent sowing. The rest is marginally above. Of the 44 lakh hectares of arable land in the state,sowing has occurred only on 18.5 lakh hectares so far.