Kerala   

Pawar discusses farm crisis with Achuthanandan

Special Correspondent

Union Agriculture Minister begins tour of the State

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Union Minister for Food and Agriculture Sharad Pawar began a three-day tour of Kerala to study the agriculture crisis in the State.

The Union Minister is visiting Alappuzha, Idukki, Wayanad and Palakkad districts to hold discussions with people's representatives and farmers' organisations. He will also meet representatives from Kasaragod district besides holding a final round of talks with Ministers in Kozhikode.

Before leaving for Alappuzha on the first leg of his tour, the Union Minister held discussions with Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan and his colleagues.

After the discussions, the Union Minister told presspersons that the package the Centre was considering for Kerala included debt relief, interest waiver, irrigation and watershed development and rainwater harvesting.

Besides the proposals included dairy, poultry and fisheries development to supplement farmers' incomes.

Mr. Pawar declined to say when the assistance sought by the State would come through. Nor did he confirm whether Idukki and Alappuzha districts would be included in the package.

"I am not knowledgeable about the present situation in Kerala. I want to know about it. So, I will visit the four districts," he said when asked why the assistance was being delayed despite several memoranda by the State Government and assessments by Central teams.

(Mr. Pawar said in Alappuzha that the Union Government would consider the issue of implementing a `Vidharbha model' package in Alappuzha and Idukki districts only after studying the memorandums submitted by organisations of farmers and holding discussions with the State Government and members of Parliament from the State. Mr. Pawar said he could not give any commitment on the issue.)

He said States such as Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharastra had sought assistance following farmers' suicides. The magnitude of the problem was high.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Pawar discusses farm crisis with Achuthanandan
Takeover of 22 tea plantations mooted
KPCC team to visit Mullaperiyar
Under the arc lights for four decades
Mullaperiyar: MDMK plans rally
An initiative for the needy, worth emulating
Tight security in north Kerala
Statue of Thakazhi to be unveiled
Register case against Joseph: Youth Congress
KPCC submits memorandum
Health Minister warns doctors
NCP nod for DIC(K)'s merger proposal
UDF calls for 12-hour hartal in Kunnathunadu
ADB to hold essay contest
Briefly

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu