Just days after Thalassery Archbishop Mar Joseph Pamplany warned major political parties about disregarding the misery of rubber farmers, the Kerala Government has allocated a production subsidy of Rs 23.45 crore to them.
The subsidy money has started to arrive in the rubber growers’ bank accounts. According to the office of the state finance minister, all subsidies that were due until February 28 have been distributed in the current installment.
The State Government has previously allocated Rs 30 crore out of the total applications for subsidies totaling Rs 120 crore. Natural rubber has a fixed price of Rs 170 per kg for procurement, although the going rate is now about Rs 140. The production cost will be used to make up the difference between the actual price and the minimum price set.
As many as 1.47 lakh grower applications have been submitted to the state government. The Rubber Production Societies in their different locales must receive the growers’ applications. These will be forwarded by the organisations to the Rubber Board, which will thereafter, following the appropriate verification, forwarded them to the State Government.
Releasing the incentive is frequently delayed by the technicalities associated with filing applications, according to sources in the Finance Department.
The State has previously increased the amount of money in its budget designated for farmer subsidies to Rs 600 crore.
The Archbishop had previously cautioned that if the Union Government increased the purchase price of natural rubber to Rs 300 per kg, the Church would take a friendly posture towards the BJP. Following that, the BJP’s state and national leadership backed the Bishop.
Political controversy has resulted from the subsidy’s speedy release during the discussion of the Archbishop’s statements, which some have characterised as an effort to placate the largely Christian rubber producing community.
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