Garhwal Post Bureau
Haridwar, 1 Sep: In view of the heavy rains and excessive rainfall in the district, a review meeting was held today at the CCR Auditorium under the chairmanship of Agriculture, Soldiers’ Welfare and Rural Development Minister Ganesh Joshi. The meeting focused on assessing the crop losses suffered by farmers and the relief compensation being provided to them.
The Agriculture Minister instructed the Chief Agriculture Officer, District Horticulture Officer and other officials to conduct immediate assessments of crop losses caused by heavy rains and ensure that compensation is disbursed to farmers without delay. He further directed that, if any farmer suffers damage to livestock or residential property, financial assistance as per government norms must also be provided promptly. The Minister emphasised the need to insure the crops of as many farmers as possible, and asked officials to create widespread awareness to encourage farmers to opt for crop insurance schemes.
Highlighting the importance of horticulture, the Minister directed officials to motivate more farmers to adopt fruit cultivation, with a special focus on promoting dragon fruit production to increase farmers’ income. He also said that with the Kumbh Mela scheduled in 2027, women self-help groups (SHGs) must be encouraged to showcase their local products by setting up maximum stalls at designated locations. This, he said, would help empower women economically. The Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to making women “Lakhpati Didis” (earning women entrepreneurs) under the NRLM schemes and stressed better dialogue and coordination with women groups. He also reviewed the products being prepared by SHGs and took stock of the beneficiaries of the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in the district.
The Minister appreciated the district administration’s efforts in providing timely ex-gratia assistance to farmers affected by crop and livestock losses, as well as in making women SHGs self-reliant.
Chief Development Officer Akanksha Konde informed the Minister that assessment of crop losses in the district showed that 44 farmers were affected, and compensation of Rs 2,05,417 has already been distributed. Assistance has also been provided for the death of three animals, and Rs 27,000 has been given for damages for nine cowsheds. In total, Rs 16,37,600 has been disbursed under various heads including crop loss, livestock loss, cowshed damage, house damage, and ex-gratia assistance.
She further stated that, under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, 9,101 beneficiaries in the district have already received houses, and a survey of 29,712 persons has been completed for the second phase. Under the Lakhpati Didi initiative, 23,112 women have already been empowered to reach the lakhpati status in Haridwar district. She assured the Minister that all his directions would be strictly implemented by the departments concerned.
The meeting was attended by Project Director KM Tiwari, District Development Officer Ved Prakash, Chief Agriculture Officer Gopal Singh Bhandari, District Horticulture Officer Tejpal Singh, District Disaster Management Officer Meera Rawat, BJP District General Secretary Ashu Chaudhary, Arun Chauhan, Abhishek Gaur, and other officials.
