Kharif crop registration to use e-Ferfar where online survey fails, says Revenue Minister Bawankule

The state government has decided that in places where online kharif crop registration cannot be done because of technical and geographical difficulties, the crop survey will now be conducted through "e-Ferfar". Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule has issued instructions to the Revenue Department. The decision has brought relief to about 70 lakh farmers in the state.

Apart from remote areas, other places too face major difficulties with the online crop survey for geographical and technical reasons, and online registration cannot be done there at all. The survey will now be carried out in those places through the e-Ferfar system so that no entry remains stuck. So that crop registration is not held up, the survey will be conducted at patwari level.

Mr Bawankule said his government had taken a very important decision today. According to him, many tribal people are tilling land but their names are not on the lease, and they are not covered under other schemes either. Farmer IDs could not be created in different parts of the state for various reasons. The Revenue Department had no SOP for such people. It has now been decided to issue a farmer ID to anyone who has even a single proof or right dating from before 1 January 2015. Mr Bawankule said the government had given this as a gift to 1.60 lakh farmers on the occasion of Deepavali.

He said a handwritten record is being prepared of any land a farmer was cultivating before 1 January 2015. Even if the land is government land, every farmer who says it is his right will get a farmer ID. It has been decided to hold an offline survey for the crop survey. According to Mr Bawankule, the stalled crop survey of more than 1 lakh farmers will now become easier.

On Diwali, Mr Bawankule said all ministers of the state have resolved to celebrate Diwali at a farmer's home in their own areas. He said he would stay overnight in Loharisangva village. A project stalled for several years will be launched on a large scale tomorrow and presented as a gift. According to him, the Chief Minister will also stay at a farmer's home, so farmers will have a sweet Diwali.

Mr Bawankule also said the Chief Minister's Medical Assistance Fund cell will now function at tehsil level. Earlier, patients had to make many rounds up to the district level, so having it at tehsil level is good. The demand that the Jamner land in Jalgaon go to the government and their land to the railways brought major relief on Diwali. According to Mr Bawankule, the government has fulfilled the demand of Girish Mahajan and his wife.

On actor Sayaji Shinde's agitation, Mr Bawankule said hydro projects are a boon for the state and provide cheap electricity today. He said hydro projects never harm the environment. As per what Mr Shinde says, the government will provide land for the total number of trees to be planted. Mr Bawankule said cutting trees is not right, but it is also not right for a hydro project to go away. According to him, this will give farmers electricity during the day and bring relief.