Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 6: Basmati Rice Growers today demanded weather based insurance for agricultural community like other States including Haryana, Punjab and Gujarat.
Addressing a press conference, Dev Raj, president, Basmati Growers Association said that this year there was lucrative basmati rice and now it is the responsibility of the Government to cover it under Basmati Mission module.
“Quality seeds, plant protection chemicals, tractor operating machines and mini rice mills should be made available to the farmers on 75 per cent subsidy rates with weather based insurance under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna”, he demanded.
Dev Raj said that this year Government has closely checked and cleared the bottle necks under various Centrally sponsored schemes for their proper implementation at ground level.
He demanded accountability at different stages for unspent amount under various Centrally sponsored schemes for financial year 2012-13.
Tajinder Singh, president, J&K Kissan Council said that due to hailstorm and sudden rise in the temperature, 80 per cent of crops were damaged in Jammu district.
He said that such type of natural climate should be compensated by adopting the method of weather based agriculture insurance.
Singh urged the Chief Minister to pay attention towards the non-serious agencies involved in providing insurance to farming community as crops worth Rs 1000 crore get damaged every year.
He also asked the Legislators to discuss the demands of the farming community and allied sectors in the ongoing Assembly session.
Singh also demanded agriculture schemes for youths, 100 per cent tax free agriculture budget, waving of entry and sales tax of poly green houses for further development of agriculture.
Among others present were Krishan Lal, Gurvinder Singh Babli, Kuldeep Raj Sharma, Joginder Lal, Rajinder Kumar Sharma, Lalit Kumar, etc.
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