Chandigarh, June 12 – Keeping in view adoption of micro irrigation system for cultivation of crops as the need of the hour, Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal today announced that tubewell connections will also be given to those farmers who adopt micro irrigation system for saving water.

Haryana Chief Minister, Mr. Manohar Lal made this announcement while addressing a function organised at Gurugram today.

He said that many areas of Haryana have gone into the Dark Zone and the level of ground water has gone down considerably. It is the need of the hour to adopt micro irrigation system to save ground water, only then people will get water in the future.

The Chief Minister said that along with water, the farmers should also save electricity. For this, they should install a pump set and motor with five star rating, which will consume only 75 percent of electricity. He said that on the tubewells, the State Government gives subsidy of about Rs 7,500 crore every year. He said that the tubewell operator farmer is being given power only at the rate of 10 paise per unit and by using five star rated motor, he will save 25 percent of electricity. This will also save the subsidy money, which will be used for some other work. The Chief Minister also said that the government will now buy and give star rated motor to the farmers who will pay the equivalent amount of the normal motor. The excess amount for purchasing five star-rated motor will be borne by the government. He informed that at present around 80,000 tubewell connections are pending in the state.

Referring to the power reforms, the Chief Minister said that in this first shift, the present state government has given emphasis for providing electricity, roads and water in the state. He said that since the formation of Haryana in 1966, all the Chief Ministers used to say that they would give 24-hour of electricity, but they could not do so. The present State Government worked in this direction and now 24-hour electricity is being given in 3,600 villages of the state, which includes all villages of district Gurugram.

The Chief Minister said that the government has reduced the rate for initial 250 units by Rs 2. He said that in order to resolve the issue of outstanding electricity bills, the state government has waived off the bills amounting to Rs. 3,000 crore and handed over the amount of Rs. 600 crore to the power corporations to dispose of previous case and for improvement in the situation.

Referring to the schemes implemented by the present State Government for the welfare of the farmers, the Chief Minister announced that the farmer will have to do the registration of the sowing done on his whole land twice a year. After that, the Agricultural Development Officer of the Agriculture Department will check it. Doing so will help in selling the crop and there will be no fraud. He said that farmers are happy with the government today. The government has procured the crops at the support price and in addition to the Fasal Bima Yojana, the Bhavantar Bharpayee Yojana has been implemented.

He said that the Central Government procures paddy and wheat, but the State Government has also procured bajra and mustard crop. Similarly, sunflower crop has been purchased in northern Haryana.