Bhopal: Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has issued instructions to launch a drive for holding flowing rain water from September 15. He has instructed to make action plan for farmers’ income not getting reduced due to rain deficit, observe Swachhata fortnight and get prepared for rabi crop considering rain shortfall. Chouhan asked the district in-charge ministers to assess availability of water for irrigation with public representatives and administrative officers between September 15 and 20. Effective management should be put in place for executing contingency action plan for irrigation from available water and apprise farmers of it.
He was reviewing contingency action plan to deal with situation arising from short rainfall after the Cabinet meeting. Presentations were made by Agriculture, Water Resources, Public Health Engineering, Animal Husbandry, Cooperatives and Urban Administration Departments regarding preparation for tackling short rainfall. It was informed that the chief minister and all members of the Cabinet will actively participate in awareness drive for stopping water. They will get constructed bori bandhans.
Chouhan directed the agriculture department’s officials that it should be ensured that contingency plan prepared for rain shortfall is informed to farmers effectively. Gram Sabha meetings should be held. Information regarding availability of water for irrigation, minor, semi-irrigated crops and availability of their seeds, should be communicated to farmers. Agriculture, Revenue, Panchayat and Rural Development Departments will jointly create awareness among farmers at war footing to tackle the situation.
The society should be prepared to deal with situation due to rain deficit by utilising different forums like farmers’ conventions, Jan Upbhokta Santha and all modes of mass communication. He said that task should be defined so that farmers’ income is not decreased in such adverse conditions. Connect people and set new record by taking resolution for the best.
The Chief Minister reviewed preparations for Swachhata fortnight to be observed between September 15 and October 2. Expecting active participation of Cabinet Members, he asked them to participate in Shramdan programmes. He said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said that Madhya Pradesh bagged 80 percent awards of Swachhata awards. This trend should not get reversed and comprehensive action plan should be made to make it better with outline of programmes to be held at state, district and village level included in it. Drive for cleanliness and Shramdan will be held on September 17 at district-level. The Chief Minister administered resolution to ministers and officers to tackle situation due to rain deficit and overcome it successfully.