Tag: Subsidy

Cooperatives to offer interest subsidy for long-term loans to farmers

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The Bengal Government has decided to give interest subsidy for long-term loans to farmers from cooperatives.

This was a recent suggestion of the State Level Monitoring Committee for Cooperative Sector, a high-powered committee set up last January to look into the matter of extending banking facilities to more rural areas and into other areas to improve the cooperative sector.

Interest subsidy for short-term loans is already being extended to farmers. Now the same would be given for long-term loans. It will ensure further development of the State in the agriculture sector.

The Trinamool Congress Government has given a new lease of life to the State’s agriculture sector. Decisions like waiving tax on agricultural land and helping farmers with modern tools, and many others, have ensured an increase in the yield of numerous crops, helping the State bag the Central Government’s Krishi Karman Award for five consecutive years.

For the welfare of farmers, old-age pension – to those above 60 years – is being given. The number of recipients was recently decided to be increased, as well as the amount – from 69,000 to 1 lakh, and from Rs 650 to Rs 750 per month to Rs 1,000, respectively.

Source: Millennium Post

Dairy farmers to get additional subsidy of Rs 2 per litre from State Govt

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Good news for dairy farmers in Bengal. The State Government has decided to give an additional subsidy of Rs 2 per litre (over and above the procurement price) to dairy farmers who sell milk to the government through cooperatives.

At present the procurement price of milk is Rs 25 per litre. While this remains same, the additional subsidy amount will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the dairy farmers.

At present there are 1.2 lakh dairy farmers under the West Bengal Co-operative Milk Producer Association. Additionally, 10 lakh people indirectly going to benefit, if family members are taken into account.

This move will result in an additional expenditure of about Rs 6.5 crore for the government, an amount which has already been released by the Finance Department.

This additional income will bring a lot of relief to the farmer families who sell to the State Government. They are distributed across 14 milk federations. The Animal Resources Development Department oversees this activity.

 

সরকারকে দুধ সরবরাহকারী চাষিদের লিটারে ২ টাকা বাড়তি ভর্তুকি দেবে রাজ্য

রাজ্যের কয়েক লক্ষ দুধ সরবরাহকারী চাষিদের জন্য সুখবর। সমবায়ের মাধ্যমে সরকারকে দুধের জোগান দেওয়া চাষিদের প্রতি লিটারে ২ টাকা অতিরিক্ত ভর্তুকি দেওয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নিলেন মুখ্যমন্ত্রী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়। এই মুহূর্তে প্রতি লিটারে দুধের সংগ্রহ মূল্য ২৫ টাকা। রাজ্য সরকারের নয়া সিদ্ধান্তে সংগ্রহ মূল্য অপরিবর্তিত থাকলেও ভর্তুকি যোগ করে এখন থেকে দুধ চাষিরা লিটারে ২৭ টাকা হাতে পাবেন।

এই মুহূর্তে গোটা রাজ্যে ওয়েস্ট বেঙ্গল কো-অপারেটিভ মিল্ক প্রোডিউসার ফেডারেশনের অধীন প্রায় ১ লক্ষ ২০ হাজার দুধ চাষি রয়েছে। তাঁদের পরিবারের সদস্য এবং পরোক্ষভাবে যুক্ত মানুষের সংখ্যা মিলে প্রায় ১০ লক্ষ হবে। যাঁরা মূলত রাজ্যের গ্রামীণ এলাকার বাসিন্দা। গোটা ব্যবস্থায় স্বচ্ছতা আনতে এই ভর্তুকির টাকা সংশ্লিষ্ট দুধ চাষিদের নিজস্ব ব্যাঙ্ক অ্যাকাউন্টে পাঠিয়ে দেওয়া হবে। এর জন্য জেলাওয়াড়ি চাষিদের তথ্য সংগ্রহের কাজ চলছে পুরোদমে।

পরিবর্তনের সরকার দুধ চাষিদের বাড়তি এই আর্থিক সুবিধা পাইয়ে দিতে সংশ্লিষ্ট খাতে চলতি আর্থিক বছরে প্রায় সাড়ে ৬ কোটি টাকা বরাদ্দ করেছে। সম্প্রতি সেই টাকাও রিলিজ করা হয়েছে।

Source: Bartaman

Image is representative 

 

WB Govt to give food grains at 47 paise per kg to tea garden workers

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Under the aegis of West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, the State Government has decided to give rice and wheat at 47 paise per kg to 12 lakh 9 thousand tea garden workers (including their families).

During the inauguration of the Khadya Sathi Scheme for food security a few days back, Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee had announced that more than 7 crore of the State’s population would get rice and wheat at Rs 2 per kg. Among this 7 crore, for the tea garden workers and their families in Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar districts, totaling 12 lakh 9 thousand, the State would give an additional subsidy of Rs 1.53. Thus, they would need to pay only 47 paise per kg for rice and wheat. Each family can get a maximum of 35 kg of subsidised food grains per month.

The decision was taken at a meeting involving the State’s Labour and Food Commissions yesterday evening. Food Minister Jyotipriya Mullick said, “Under the aegis of our Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Government has taken this unprecedented decision. No other State could have even thought of taking such a decision. The way the Food Security Scheme has been implemented by West Bengal has become a model for other States.”

 

চা বাগানের শ্রমিকদের ৪৭ পয়সা কেজি দরে চাল দেবে রাজ্য সরকার

পশ্চিমবঙ্গের মাননীয়া মুখ্যমন্ত্রী শ্রীমতী মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের উদ্যোগে চা বাগানের শ্রমিক পরিবারের সদস্যদের ৪৭ পয়সা কিলো দরে চাল, গম দেওয়ার সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছে রাজ্য সরকার। এর ফলে প্রায় ১২ লক্ষ ৯ হাজার শ্রমিক উপকৃত হবেন।

কয়েকদিন আগেই মাননীয়া মুখ্যমন্ত্রী ‘খাদ্য সাথী’ প্রকল্পের সূচনা করেছেন। সেখানে মুখ্যমন্ত্রী ঘোষণা করেছেন, রাজ্যের ৭ কোটির বেশি মানুষকে ২ টাকা কিলো দরে চাল ও গম দেওয়া হবে। ৪৯ লক্ষ মানুষ ১৩ টাকা দরে চাল ও ৯ টাকা দরে গম পাবেন। সেক্ষেত্রে দার্জিলিং, জলপাইগুড়ি ও আলিপুরদুয়ারের চা বাগান অধ্যুষিত ১২ লক্ষ ৯ হাজার মানুষের জন্য প্রতি কেজিতে বাড়তি ১ টাকা ৩৫ পয়সা দেবে রাজ্য সরকার। প্রতি মাসে পরিবার পিছু মিলবে ৩৫ কেজি খাদ্যশস্য।

গতকাল এই সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়ে রাজ্য সরকারের শ্রম দপ্তর ও খাদ্য দপ্তর। খাদ্যমন্ত্রী জ্যোতিপ্রিয় মল্লিকের বক্তব্য, “মমতা বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়ের নির্দেশে এটি একটি যুগান্তকারী পদক্ষেপ। আর কোনও রাজ্য এরকম সিদ্ধান্ত নেওয়ার কথা ভাবতেই পারে না। রাজ্যে যেভাবে খাদ্য সুরক্ষা প্রকল্প নেওয়া হয়েছে তা অন্য রাজ্যের কাছে মডেল”।

Seven crore people in Bengal to receive subsidised foodgrains

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Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal on Friday decided to start a new food security scheme to provide over three crore beneficiaries foodgrains at Rs 2 per kg, taking to seven crore the number of people getting subsidised food.

“Currently our government gives rice at Rs 2 per kg to 3.33 crore people in the state. We are starting a new scheme for food security from January 27.

“Three crore additional people will be included in this system and will get wheat and rice at Rs 2 per kg,” Banerjee said at the state secretariat Nabanna after a cabinet meeting.

She also said an additional 70 lakh people have filled up forms to get subsidised food and will be getting cereals at half the market price.

Altogether around seven crore people will be entitled to benefits of the state government’s food security schemes, she said.

The cabinet also adopted a rehabilitation package for tea garden workers in northern West Bengal as well as for people living in Jangalmahal – the Left Wing Extremism affected areas of the state.

50% subsidy for new MSME industry in Coochbehar: WB CM

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West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee batted for Cooch Behar as a possible investment destination urging “industry friends“and invest in this far-flung district. The Chief Minister promised the investors of all help and announced a 50% subsidy to the small-scale industry sector in the district.

Addressing a public meeting in Gumanihat in Cooch Behar’s Mathabhanga sub-division, the Chief Minister said, “Children from Cooch Behar go to Delhi to do some intricate gold jewellery work, they go to Rajasthan to do stone sculptures. Such works have opportunities here too. I will urge my industry friends with folded hands to please come and invest here. I will provide whatever you seek for it. But, please work in these far-flung districts. Please work and generate jobs.“

The State Government has been urging investors to lay stress on MSME. In near future, a business conclave for north Bengal is scheduled to be held. The Chief Minister in her recent visit to Bhutan had invited a Bhutanese delegation to attend the said conclave.

Accident insurance scheme for self-help groups started in Bengal

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An accident insurance scheme for self-help groups (SHGs) has been started in West Bengal. The implementation of the scheme has begun with the district of Purulia. It is to be extended to the district of Nadia, and in around a month, to the rest of the State. An additional 2% subsidy on interest against loans taken by the SHGs has also been announced.

About the scheme

The accident insurance scheme for the SHGs, administered by West Bengal Swarojgar Corporation Limited, has been made applicable to all members aged 18 to 60 years. The compensation for accident-related deaths has been settled at Rs 1 lakh. This compensation amount is also applicable to those who fall in the categories of total permanent disability, partial permanent disability and temporary total disability, as per an announcement by the Department of Self-Help Group & Self-Employment.

Rs 40,000 has been earmarked for accident-linked treatment and surgery. For conducting the last rites of accident victims, a maximum of Rs 2,500 would be given. To compensate a person for the wage loss suffered as a result of an accident, Rs 100 per day would be paid for a maximum period of 30 days.

Loans taken by the SHGs from banks carry an interest of 11%. Of this 11%, till now, 7% used to be paid by the State Government in the form of subsidy. Therefore, SHGs had to pay 4% of the interest. Now, the State has decided to pay an additional 2% of the interest, to lower the burden on the SHGs. Hence, from now on, the SHGs would have to pay only 2% of the interest.

As of now, this new subsidy scheme would benefit those SHGs that had applied for loans from April 2014 onwards. However, efforts are on to extend this subsidy to those groups too that have been paying their interests from earlier.

According to the State Government, more than 50 lakh members from the almost 5 lakh SHGs would be benefited by all the above-mentioned measures.

 

Image via Milaap.org

 

WB Govt announces relief of Rs 69 crore to farmers who have suffered crop damage

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West Bengal Government announced a relief of Rs 69 crore to farmers who have suffered crop damage between February and April.

The State Government in a statement informed that severe hailstorm and rains caused damage to different crops to the tune of Rs 903 crore in most of the districts in the state during the second week fortnight of February and 1st week of April, 2015. The cropped area got affected is 33 per cent totalling 50,600 hectares.

Concerned about the farmers, the State Government will be disbursing Rs 69 crore under State Disaster Response Fund and the same will be offered to eligible farmers. The financial assistance will be Rs 1,800 per bigha (Rs 13,500 per hectare) for irrigated areas while for perennial crop area will be Rs 2,400 per bigha (Rs 18,000 per hectare). The Directorate of agriculture has been entrusted with the task of chalking out the disbursing plan to the affected farmers.

The West Bengal government also urged the Centre to either waive or reduce loans taken by potato farmers from different banks, as they were forced to make distress sales of their produce because of bumper crops this year.

“In a letter, we have urged the Centre to either waive or reduce loans taken by the potato farmers, as they are forced to make distress sales of their produce. We had written earlier too in this regard,” State Agriculture Minister Mr Purnendu Bose said.

After a meeting of the Task Force on Market Price, convened by the Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee, Mr Bose said that the letter had been taken to reduce the burden of the affected farmers.

The state had produced 1.15 crore tonnes of potato this year against the state’s demand of 55 to 60 lakh tonnes for consumption, The agriculture minister said.

In a separate letter, the state government has also demanded a compensation of Rs 70 crore from the Centre for the damage of crops over 50,596 hectares of land in 15 districts in hailstorm, Mr Bose said.
“If the compensation is sanctioned, it will be distributed among the affected districts through Disaster Management department.

The state government is also considering to enhance transport subsidy further for export of potato to other states.

“Already five lakh tonnes of potato have been sent to other states. Besides, the state government has purchased 50,000 tonnes of potato directly from the farmers for mid-day meals and to meet the needs of the ICDS,” the agriculture minister said.

Stating that the production of mango was likely to be up to the expectation, Mr Bose said that transport subsidy would also be given to mango exporters.  To reduce the price of eggs, the state government has also waived one per cent levy on poultry feed, he said.

Food for all: Bengal shows the way

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West Bengal Government under the leadership of Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee had laid focus on food security for all. Various steps have been taken by the Trinamool Government to provide food grains at the remotest corners of the State, especially to the financially backward classes, the distressed and the poor.

Here are some achievements of the West Bengal Government, since Trinamool took office in 2011 May:

Storage Capacity:

When Trinamool Government took office in May 2011, the storage capacity of the State was 40,000 MT.  In the span of 3.5 years, new storage capacity of 3.8 Lakh MT has been created with a cost of Rs 370 Crore.

The Government has set a target of 5.755 Lakh MT and the balance will be completed by the end of the Financial Year 2015-16.

Public Distribution System:

The Government has undertaken a project of digitisation of ration cards. Since May 2011, 7.8 Crore cards have been digitised, which is 82% of the population.  The Minister in Charge along with his officials have made surprise checks in the ration shops, which has helped in stopping the wide spread corruption which existed before May 2011.

More than 90 lakh fake ration cards have been identified and cancelled in the last 3.5 years, thus stopping the leakage in the PDS.

Food for all:

More than 3.2 Crore BPL listed people from Jangalmahal, Singur, closed tea gardens, Aila affected Sunderbans and few blocks of Birbhum are getting subsidised rice at Rs 2/kg and wheat at Rs 5 per packet of 750 gm.

More than 4 thousand Severely Acute Malnourished (SAM) children have been provided additional 9.5 kg of food grains per month, under nutritional support programme.

Procurement of food grains:

More than 1000 paddy procurement camps are put into operation. More than 4.5 lakh MT of paddy has been procured under the Minimum Support Price System.

In 2010-11, the rice farmers earned around Rs 19,095 Crore and since the time the new Government took office, there has been a steady rise of the income of the farmers. In 2013-14, rice farmers earned around Rs 34,366 Crore.

 

 

rice farmers