The State Government has started the ‘Magel Tyala Shet Tale (Farm Pond on Demand)’ scheme on February 17, 2016 to provide adequate water to the farmers for farming. However, according to the figures, the government could not achieve the target set by them. The Government had the intention to build 1 lakh 12 thousand 311 farm ponds in the state. However ‘My Mahanagar’ has received the information that only 85 thousand 893 farm ponds have been built up so far. The government has received 4 lakh 26 thousand 122 application request for farm pond under this scheme, informed a MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gurantee Act) official. Therefor along with oppositions, the social workers are also raising the question that why government is not able to reach its target even after receiving large number of applications.
We will accomplish the target soon
The target of giving Farm-Pond could not be completed in the last two years, but we will fulfill the shortage of 26,000 Farm-Ponds under the Employment Guarantee Scheme. The scheme of ‘Magel Tyala Shet Tale (Farm Pond on Demand scheme)’ is now running jointly with the Employment Guarantee Scheme.
– Eknath Davle, Water Conservation Secretary
Under the ‘Farm Pond on Demand’ scheme, the farmer is given 50 thousand rupees after the farm pond is built. But one of government officer informed ‘My Mahanagar’ on the condition of anonymity that the farmers bearing the cost of building farm pond is more than 50 thousand rupees. Also, before building this farm pond, the agricultural officers inspect the place where the farmers are cultivating the pond. The farmer has to build these farm ponds only at place given by the agricultural officer. After the construction of the farm pond, the officers once again inspect the farm pond and then the money is released to the farmers.
This scheme was started on February 17, 2016. Initially, the scheme did not include Konkan district, it was later included on October 10, 2016. The applications received post this period, 85 thousand 893 applicant were the beneficiaries of the scheme. So far, the government has given rupees 394.59 crore for this scheme.
The scheme cannot succeed everywhere
Farm Pond on Demand scheme cannot be successful everywhere in the state. Because 52 percent of Maharashtra’s area is drought-prone and it is not possible to ensure that monsoon would come as expected. In Vidarbha and Kokan, where there is enough rain, we could cover the pond with plastic and conserve the water but it will not be useful in drought-hit areas.
– Popatrao Pawar, social activist
The scheme should be implemented by the villagers
Hivre Bazar village in Ahmednagar has always been drought-hit village. A few years ago, a young ‘Sarpanch’ Popatrao Pawar took the charge of the village and he changed the entire picture of this village. With the help of village labor force, they dug up four parallel trenches for water conservation. The village then never faced water scarcity problem. Popatrao’s initiative was appreciated not only in the country but all over the world. About the ‘Farm Pond on Demand’ scheme, he says, “This scheme is affordable only to rich farmers and those who have big land and money. This scheme will not give equal allocation of water to the villagers. So the villagers should come together and cultivate farm ponds together. So everyone will equally get the benefit of water conservation.
This is nothing but fraudulent planning
The scheme started by the government was fraudulent, misleading. Farm-Pond cannot be given in rupees 50 thousand, it requires minimum one to two lakh rupees. That is why this is a fraudulent scheme of fraudulent government.
– Sunil Tatkare, MLA, NCP
