Gandhinagar: Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani today chose to mark one year of his government by addressing a gathering of farmers at Rajkot, the heart place of Saurashtra region.

Rupani said 70-75% works of SAUNI project are over. SAUNI will be completed within a year in December 2019. With this, 115 dams will be connected to Narmada dam directly through pipeline. ‘Dushkal bhutkal banshe,’ (scarcity will be an issue of past in Saurashtra) he said.

Rupani said, tender process for setting up desalination plants at Dwarka, Veraval, Porbandar, Bhavnagar and Jodiya will complete by end of this month. Each plant will have 100 MLD capacity. It will ensure 10 crore liter daily water supply. Works shall complete in two years. Farmers will get desalinized water for irrigation use.

Rupani said the government has launched SKY project of solar power generation in farms. 7 feeders are already in place in South Gujarat on trial basis.

Rupani said the government is purchasing thousands of tonne of farm produce from farmers. In last 3 years, as much as Rs. 6,700 crore worth of purchase has been done.

He said government offers loan to farmers at zero percent interest. Complains are received that interest is deposited late in banks. Recently a decision has been taken to release Rs. 500 crore on temporary basis in order to fast payment of interest money to farmers.

He said government takes money at 7% interest rate and transfers it to farmers at zero per cent interest rate, thus government bears the cost of interest.

Rupani said 17 lakh hectares land has been covered under drip irrigation in the state. Each year additional 1.5 lakh hectare coverage is added. This year 1.60 lakh hectare coverage is completed against 2 lakh hectare goal. Government gives 75% subsidy for this purpose.

Rupani also spoke about 50% assistance for fencing.

Earlier 5 inch seasonal rain would attract scarcity-hit taluka status. This year, govt has given scarcity-hit status to talukas that received 14 inch rain. Each farmer in scarcity-hit talukas will get Rs. 6,500 per hectare upto 2 hectare land limit. Across 96 talukas, 24 lakh farmers will get input subsidy of Rs. 2285 crore in their accounts directly post 15th January, Rupani said.

In today’s function, Rupani launched payment of input assistance money to farmers to 2.40 lakh farmers of 8 talukas of Rajkot district worth Rs. 191.19 crore

Rupani said talukas other than 96 scarcity-hit talukas should get best payment of crop insurance timely. Our two ministers are working day and night and visiting Delhi frequently to make sure that crop insurance payment is released timely by February first week directly to farmers’ bank accounts.

DeshGujarat