Maha funds for irrigation wells, orchards through DBT: Rawal

Farmers will now receive funds for irrigation wells and orchards directly into their bank accounts through the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) method, Maharashtra Minister for Employment Guarantee Schemes (EGS), Jaykumar Rawal, said today.

"Earlier, funds for irrigation wells used to be given to the shop keepers against the material purchased and orchard funds were given to the nurseries. Now farmers will get the funds directly in their bank accounts and hence will be the beneficiaries," Rawal said.

Rawal reviewed schemes, district-wise, related to MNREGA, EGS, irrigation wells, orchards and Samruddh Maharashtra Jankalyan Yojana over a period of two days in meetings held at the Sahyadri state guest house.

Giving information about the decisions taken during the review, Rawal said the EGS department was extensively implementing the irrigation wells scheme.

"This scheme has proved to be a revolutionary one for farmers. It is expected that work on 76,000 such wells currently underway will be completed soon, as per the planning done in this meeting," he said.

"The funds required for material like cement, sand, steel etc, used to be given to the shopkeeper through gram panchayats. From now on, money will transferred to the farmers accounts through DBT," he stated.

He said that money for purchase of saplings to set up private orchards, planted under the Kalpvruksh Orchard scheme with funds made available from MNREGA, would also be transferred directly into the bank accounts of farmers.

"The profit from the produce goes to the farmer. The funds for purchasing saplings for orchards used to be given to the nurseries but now this fund will also be transferred to farmers' bank accounts through DBT. This will enable the farmer to purchase saplings from government or registered nurseries," he said.

He further said a decision had been taken to encourage mulberry plantation as there was good scope for a silk industry in the state.

"Mulberry plantation is done during rainy season through MNREGA. However, it has now been decided to allow mulberry plantation throughout the year. Similarly, orchards can be planted throughout the year as per availability of water," Rawal said.