Govt launches Mission Fodder to help 26 drought-hit districts

LEARNING FROM TELENGANA

Despite mounting pressure from the Opposition and farmer organisations to open cattle camps and fodder depots to battle drought in the state — as was done by the previous Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government — the government has decided against it. Instead, it has launched ‘Mission Fodder’ to meet the needs of 26 drought-affected districts across the state.

The camps and depots have, in the past, proved to be “grazing grounds” for corruption, the state government said. Currently, the supply of fodder in these areas is falling short of the demand by 32 lakh metric tonnes (MT). While the demand in the 151 tehsils and 268 revenue circles for the next seven months has been estimated at 144.42 lakh MT, the available stock is at 112.26 lakh MT.

The state government said the new scheme focuses on utilising all sources of fodder generation by integrating various departments. Anoop Kumar, principal secretary, dairy development department, said, “Under Mission Fodder, farm land owned by various state departments and corporations have been brought under cultivation. Four hundred

MUMBAI:

Dairy development department officers visited Telangana to study their fodder production scheme. An official said that similar to Telangana, they would rope in cooperative and private institutions to run Gosanvardhan Go-Seva Kendra for the maintenance of nonmilching cows

Apart from fodder supply, cattle maintenance is also a major concern facing drought-hit and seventy hectares of land under the Maharashtra Livestock Development Board and 300 hectares under the Sheep and Goat Development Corporation will collectively cultivate 23,000 MT of fodder.” Many other government departments will help meet the demand for the next seven months, he said.

The government has completely avoided opening cattle camps and depots. “The government is against (it), as our past experience with them has not been so good. Most of the camps were run during the 2012-13 droughts by organisations under the mentorship of local Congress and NCP politicians,” said an officer from the relief and rehabilita- areas. As part of the ‘Mission Fodder’, the government may deposit grant money for maintenance of bovines in the farmers’ bank accounts An officer from the agriculture department said an adult bovine needs 6kg of fodder a day, while calves require 3kg. Once the rate of fodder is ascertained, the decision on the money to be released will be taken, he said.

tion department.

“The then CM, Prithviraj Chavan, had to shut down the fodder depots after the government came across cases of corruption by the organisations running them. Criminal cases have been filed over the corruption. The Congress-led government continued with the cattle camps, but the organisations running them inflated the figures of the livestock to mint money,” he said.

Farm activists welcomed the move to not open fodder depots and cattle camps. “The camps, run by the local politicians, become the epicentres of corruption in the name of maintenance of livestock,” said Amir Habib, a farm activist from Marathwada.