Hon. Chairman Sir,
If a Member of Parliament from Marathwada rises to speak in this August
House, it is a foregone conclusion that he or she would definitely speak on
drought. That is why when I demanded for a passport office in Marathwada region
a few days ago, many people came to me and asked why I was demanding for it
while ignoring the severe drought conditions in Marathwada. I know that
unfortunately drought is a common phenomenon for Marathwada but it does not
mean that we would not raise any other demand except drought. I am thankful to
all for giving me an opportunity to speak on drought conditions. It is really
very unfortunate that we are facing this serious situation. Here, we should
discuss about how we can deal with this drought condition in future. Instead, we are140 simply
discussing and citing examples about how the Central Government or the State
Governments have failed to fight this drought.160
I, being a young Member
of Parliament, feel that we should change our approach towards drought. Some
issues like these should be spared and they should be seen
through a social angle. Regarding drought relief, firstly, we should focus on
what losses farmers have already incurred and what has been done in that
regard. Secondly, we should think about how our farmers would face the drought
conditions in future if it happens again and what had been done in past. Every
time, we discuss about farmers’ suicides and the number of suicides in the
different regimes. I have a NCRB report right now with me. But instead of going
through the data, I think the steps taken by the Government280
are more important. We should not make it a sport. We can not be
so insensitive. Our Chief Minister met the Prime Minister last week only and
they decided to offer a package of Rs.5200 crore for drought-hit farmers
of320 Maharashtra and I am
really very thankful for it. A six week joint action plan has been proposed by
our Chief Minister. Through the earlier Memorandum, a demand for Rs.4500 crore
was made and Rs.4000 crore has been sanctioned. In addition to this, a
supplementary memorandum is also permitted for further relief assistance
as it is being treated as a special case. I think it is a
great achievement on the part of State and Central Government which cannot
be ignored. We always keep on talking about loan waiver. But it should
not be taken as one time measure.420 We should
take it positively and I think loan restructuring is more important. The
approach of this Government is to strengthen the last man of our
society and not to make him depend on somebody. He should be self-reliant
and independent so that he can service his loans. He needs our support
in that regard too. About loan waiver, we know480 it very
well that it is not confined to this Government only. These loans
were taken by the drought-hit farmers of Marathwada during last four years. The
BJP Governments at the State and Centre, are in the process of loan
restructuring and through this, they are restructuring the loans worth Rs.8500
crore with the concession in the interest charged. It can be regarded as
a great achievement. RBI is not permitting the restructuring of the loans taken
during 2012-13.560 Had the then Congress Government taken a
stand at that time, the
present BJP regime would not have to take up this issue now.
For the last many
years, while fighting with drought, the Government set up cattle shelters.
Usually they started it in the month of January or February. But our State
Government had started it in the month of August and it is still working
properly. For this purpose, Rs.170 crore had been allotted. In
Marathwada region 371, cattle640 shelters have been opened and
they accommodate around 4 lakh cattle. Government has proposed to waive off
the examination fees of all the students of the drought-hit area. Everybody
is talking about the tragic incident of suicide by a school girl in Latur for a
bus-pass. Latur is my neighbouring district. It is very unfortunate and
painful. Only for700 a few hundred rupees, that girl had to
commit suicide. Hence, our Maharashtra Government has decided to issue bus
passes free of cost to every student. Everybody should come forward for the
crop insurance scheme. Every MP and MLA should contribute for the success of
this crop insurance scheme. It is not necessary to be in power to do
something good for the people. We only keep on blaming the Government. We
have been elected by lacs of people and we should keep that in mind and
should also work for public awareness.
In my district, the
farmers have got the800 insurance cover of Rs.300 crore just
because we are working together. We are providing them solar pumps. They are
also getting discounts in electricity bills. Through Antyoday Yojana, our State
Government is providing rice at a rate of840 Rs.3 per
kilogram and wheat at the rate of Rs. 2 per kilogram to the poor and needy
farmers other than the BPL families. It is a revolutionary decision taken by
the Government. Health issues are also equally important. In my district,
we organized a mega health camp and 1.5 lakh people got benefitted out of it. I
would like to elaborate upon a few of the schemes being implemented by
Maharashtra Government. ‘Jalyukta Shivar’ is the most successful scheme of the
State Government. During the last one and a half year, works of worth around
Rs.2400 crore have already been done and 24 TMC of water has been conserved
through it. The Government of Rajasthan and a delegation from Israel
had960 come to study it. We will see its positive effects
in the next monsoon. The Soil Health Card and980
drip irrigation are other important subjects. Atalji had initiated for
the River-linking Projects. In the year 2014, Government started this work
through different committees constituted by it. It would be a great
achievement on the part of the Government. Rainwater harvesting should
be made compulsory not only in urban but also in rural areas. We should
keep in mind that not only farmers get affected by drought, ginning
industries and Sugar factories also get affected. Government should take
some steps for operating a thermal power plant through the waste
water management. If the farmers are facing so many problems then what
would be the fate of farm labourers? The sugar schools should be started again
for the children of labourers. There is no point in blaming each other.
I would like to recite some lines written by an unknown poet who1120
said that a farmer should never quit fighting. Time will definitely change.
Have patience and keep on fighting. This is my message to all the farmers. We
have the solid support of the State and Central Government and hence we
will be able to fight the drought situation vigorously in coming days.
Drought is not new
to India .
Between 1802 and 2002, in the last 200 years, the country has experienced 42
severe droughts, almost once in every five years. Between 1900 and 2006, 1,061
million people were affected and 4.5 million people lost their lives. The
important thing is around 68 per cent of cultivable land in India
is susceptible to drought meaning failure of rains from south-west
monsoon. It is a known fact that there are three types of drought – meteorological,
hydrological and agricultural, but all put together,1260
the common thread or cause is the shortage of water. This House is aware of the
reality that drought is1280 a natural calamity and it is
not man-made. Nobody can be blamed, but we have to understand one
thing, that is, drought cannot be prevented, but if properly tackled, the
effects can be minimized. This is what we have failed to understand, which is
what I feel. In India ,
the severity of drought is aggravated due to the bad management of water
resources. Whatever reservoirs we have in Karnataka, I will come to it later
and tell you how we have failed to utilize it and what the situation today is.
I will come to that point later. However, I would like to tell one
thing. We are facing problems because of lack of storage facilities,
proper distribution network and1400 proper planning for its
utilization. India
receives around 4,000 billion cubic metres of rain annually or about one
million gallons of fresh water per person every day, but the problem, as I
said, in its storage and management. India
has1440 around 18 per cent of the world’s population with 2.3
per cent of geographical area and four per cent of water resources.
Many a time we are
having almost all types of rich natural resources in the country. In spite of
that, in the last 200 years, we had 42 severe droughts. The thing is that in
the last 70 years after getting Independence ,
we could have managed it by proper water management. But we have miserably
failed. Today the situation in the whole country is the worst in the last 40
years. About 246 districts in 10 States have1540 been
declared as drought-affected during the present fiscal year. There has been 14
per cent deficit in rain especially during the South-Western monsoon.
The Central Government is trying to do its best to facilitate the States to
fight this drought and to minimize its effect. But ultimately in the federal
structure, it is the State which has to tackle the situation. But many States
have miserably failed in this.1609
