Kartik Lokhande's blog

* Drought Relief Committees to be formed at block, district, State level By Kartik Lokhande  Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, on Monday, asked the legislators of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to reach out to people and play active role in ensuring proper and effective implementation of various drought relief measures announced by the Government. He also asked them to stand united in State Legislature to face the Opposition firmly. “Other parties are resorting to symbolism against us. We are better placed and our Government is doing good job. We need not get disturbed by allegations levelled by the Opposition, or the anger and angst expressed by the people. For, we are in public life. Instead of focussing on other things, let us all concentrate on continuing with good work and reaching out to people in distress in drought-affected areas of State,” Fadnavis said. He was addressing the BJP legislators in BJP Legislature Party meeting held at the party hall in Vidhan Bha...

By Kartik Lokhande  For years, relief packages stunted innovations in agriculture sector, especially those concerning water conservation despite several areas across Maharashtra facing drought-like situation frequently. Things had come to such a pass that refusal to declare packages created a gap between the Government and the farmers. In the process, though several departments were working for water conservation and aiding agriculture, works were done with long-term planning only in isolation. But, things are changing, thanks to ‘Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan’ taken up by the State Government. Apart from water storage being built up in deepened and widened nullahs and rivulets, and recharge of wells in nearby areas, Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan has triggered innovations. It has also resulted in harmonious working among different Government agencies -- Revenue Department, Agriculture Department, Forest Department, Groundwater Survey and Development Agency (GSDA), etc. And, abo...

By Kartik Lokhande “The day rainwater got arrested at the weir... It was a day of joy for entire village. The location of the reservoir has become a spot to sit and relax for villagers. It is also a location, the sight of which boosts confidence of farmers,” says an enthusiastic Abhay Dhokne, a farmer from village Madni (Amgaon) in Seloo tehsil of Wardha district. Neither is Dhokne the only farmer with such a positive reaction, nor is Madni (Amgaon) the only village where positive result of a well-planned ambitious initiative ‘Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan’ of Maharashtra Government is visible. The wonderful initiative ‘Jalyukta Shivar Abhiyan’ has arrested rainwater, percolated joy among villagers, and has also sowed seeds of confidence among farmers across Maharashtra. Dhokne, who tills 8 acres of land, takes various crops including sugarcane and soyabean. The nullah, where the weir has been built now, has been a source of water for farmers in the area. A couple of years ag...

  * State Govt clears 50 per cent hike in compensation to farmers affected by natural calamity Staff Reporter Now, farmers losing 33 per cent of the crop also will qualify to get benefit of relief package announced by the State Government. So far, farmers incurring loss of 50 per cent of crop used to get aid from the Government. A decision to this effect was taken in the State Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday. For years, only the farmers who lost at least 50 per cent of their agricultural crop to natural calamity or hailstorm, excessive rainfall etc used to get benefits of relief measures announced by the State Government. The farmers who lost less than 50 per cent of the crop were left out of the aid or package announced by the Government. Besides, the benefits of scarcity combat plan were given to villages that saw farmers losing 50 per cent of the crop or more. Recently, the Central Government decided to revise the norms and brought down the qualification bench...