Excess rain caused some damage to Kharif crops but guaranteed 100% safety for Rabi crops: Rupala

Gandhinagar: Union Minister of State for Panchayati Raj, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Parshottam Rupala today said that even though the excess rain caused ‘Green Famine’ like situation has done some damage to Kharif crops yet it has also guaranteed 100% safety for crops during coming Rabi season.

He said that the union government was in touch with all the affected states including Gujarat and after following the set procedure and surveys, would give compensations wherever necessary.

Talking to newsmen here during an event of 27 banks and other financial organizations led by Corporation bank, Rupala told newsmen that he accepted that there was green famine like situation at some places but despite its losses there were also benefits of sorts of it in comparison to the drought situation caused by scanty rain.
Rupala said, ‘ There is a set procedure for compensation to damage of crops caused by either scanty or excess rain. The states do survey for it and then put forth their demands. The center reviews it and issues compensation wherever necessary.’

He said that the union agriculture ministry was not only in touch with the agriculture minister of Gujarat but with the ministers of all the states. ‘Every week the union agriculture secretary is holding meeting with the chief or agriculture secretaries of all the state through conferencing to review the situation. As soon as any proposal for compensation from any state would come to the center, action would be taken immediately in the best interest of the farmers.’

Rupala, who also hails from Gujarat the home state of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister and who on the earlier occasion had denied the green famine (Lilo Dukal in Gujarati) like situation in the state today accepted that some pockets were in fact facing such a situation.

He said, ‘ Lilo Dukal or green famine is the term used for extensive damage to the crops due to excessive rain. Such situation is there in some areas of Gujarat like the Ghed area in Porbandar district and Vanthali in Junagadh where water logging is in huge proportion and there was no way out for draining in. In such areas crops have been completely damaged but in other areas of the state not all crops have been affected.’

The minister said, ‘ this situation has despite some loss to Kharif crops has a big benefit too. It guarantees 100% success for the Rabi crops due to proper moistness of the fields. ‘There has been some loss to Kharif crops and the government will certainly do something for it, but it has guaranteed success of crops in the coming Rabi season. Had it been a drought caused famine there would have been sheer frustration but currently Gujarat’s reservoirs have so much of water storage which was highest in last 10 to 15 years. And then there is this good thing about the Rabi crops

Gujarat has so far seen over 141% of rain which was highest in last 6 years and many areas of the state were still water logged. The state government has also said that it would do a survey for crop damage and seek help from the center.