The cacophony over the central government vindictively withholding financial aid to Kerala has been reverberating for some long. And now, it is a pity to see that an agricultural loan assistance scheme that could have been easily obtained, getting dragged along by the selfish interest of the chief officers here. The Center approved the scheme prepared for the upliftment of farmers in Kerala while the World Bank agreed to lend a lion’s share of the funds required.
The state government’s share is Rs 713 crore. The total project cost is Rs 2390 crore. The project named ‘KERA’ touted to be completed in five years is now getting dragged only because of the roadblocks created by the chief officers of the concerned department. The project requires the services of many officials. The current dispute is over the selection of such officials from various departments. The services of officials from agriculture, industry, IT, plantation, finance and public administration departments will be required for the project. The chief power will be handed over to one department and this has now elicited a bitter dispute among officials.
When the issue came up for discussion in the Cabinet meeting, a suggestion was made to decide after consulting the Chief Secretary. The file is circulating within different departments while a final decision is still pending. The World Bank is ready to lend Rs 1677 crore. Minding this, the plan needs to be finalized before next March.
The project has been designed to include all matters related to agriculture development. This will include smart farming practices, value-added products, and marketing systems. The project will also open up new investment opportunities in allied sectors related to agriculture. In addition to traditional crops, rubber, cardamom, coffee, and paddy will also get assistance. Steps will be taken to provide better opportunities to women start-ups related to agriculture. 90 crores have been earmarked for value-added agriculture development alone; Rs 805 crore for climate mitigation measures.
The executive officers associated with the project have no eye for the betterment of the agricultural sector but are salivating at the individual benefits offered by the project. Many such officers know how to mint money if given the leadership in a project. They are keen on implementing the same ploy here too.
The Water Authority, known for their inept work, is now trying hard to get a loan of 15,000 crore rupees to hand over the water supply of Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram to foreign private companies. Despite the hue and cry. the authority is unperturbed and is keen on moving ahead with the project.
In matters concerning farmers of the state, the wider interests of the state should be valued more than the interests of the chief officers.
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