Team Blitz India
IN a massive setback for rubber planters in Kerala, the Rubber Board is yet to sanction funds pledged for rain guards (rain covers installed on rubber trees) and crop spraying during the last financial year. Except for the Pathanamthitta district, the board had rejected bills submitted by farmers’ groups from other districts in the state.
In January this year, the board had agreed to allot Rs 5,000 per hectare for rain guards and Rs 7,500 per hectare for crop spraying. The planters began working on this immediately, and all the purchase bills were submitted by March.
Among the first bills received from planters in Pathanamthitta district in Keraa and other states were immediately passed. However, the board failed to sanction other bills by the end of the financial year. The bills were later sent for the consideration of the Ministry of Commerce.
This posed additional challenges because the ministry recommended that the amount for rain covers and crop spraying be Rs 4,000 and Rs 3,500, respectively, which is much less than the promised sum. As a result, the amount to be paid to farmers got decreased.
Following this, the farmers’ groups have been demanding the Board to pay the sum owed to them. The ministry informed the board that since the new financial year began, there was no need to sanction the earlier agreed amount.
