Drought-hit districts in Uttar Pradesh - Part II
Let us wish that the enormous funding that will come to the state government trickles down to the farmers and is not used unnecessarily by the non-friendly barriers for 'rent-seeking' and 'directly unproductive profit seeking activities'
ONE WONDERS how exactly this criterion has been chosen and what is its rationale? One also wonders why only the above-listed districts have been declared drought-hit and that too in two phases when the whole state has only scanty rainfall and the farmers, especially marginal farmers, are in a difficult situation. Large numbers of agricultural areas in the state severely lack any irrigational facilities. There is another important question that arises. How exactly the selection of the drought-hit districts has been done? Is it based on sample surveys (random or purposive), or it is on the basis of whole universe (state)? I think the government should be fully transparent on these issues.
If one thinks deeply, the reasons are very clear. Once a given district is declared drought-hit, the enormous funding is provided to the state by the Centre to help the poor farmers in various ways who have been adversely affected by the given situation. Chief Minister has already demanded that Prime Minister should announce special packages for the backward regions, especially Bundelkhand and Eastern UP.
In the first phase, most of the districts are those where the members of Parliament belong to the ruling party, and the state government has deliberately left the districts of many MPs of other parties. In the second phase, there are a few districts where the member of Parliament belongs to other parties too. Allahabad district is a good example of this. The second phase has been, in fact, announced as a political gimmick to show that the state government does not have any selfish motives behind the announcements. But the fact is that through this funding the ruling party wishes to enhance its voting power.
Uttar Pradesh has 80 representatives in the Lok Sabha.The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha envisaged by the Constitution is 552, up to 530 members to represent the states, up to 20 members to represent the Union Territories and not more than two members of the Anglo-Indian Community to be nominated by the President, if, in his opinion, that community is not adequately represented in the House. The total elective membership is distributed among the states in such a way that the ratio between the number of seats allotted to each state and the population of the state is, so far as practicable, the same for all states. The number is divided among the 28 states and the 7 union territories.
Let us wish that the enormous funding that will come to the state government trickles down to the farmers and is not used unnecessarily by the non-friendly barriers for ‘rent-seeking’ and ‘directly unproductive profit seeking activities’. Let us also wish that the remedial measures are honestly implemented for the welfare of the farmers. This could be done by actively affecting improvements in agriculture and in rural economy, initiating suitable insurance schemes, generating confidence amongst the affected people and making adequate financial provision to render relief effectively and quickly to drought-hit communities. The funds that the centre will be allocating must be rightfully spent and should filter down to those for whom they are meant. There should be a strict monitoring mechanism to safeguard this.
In the first phase, most of the districts are those where the members of Parliament belong to the ruling party, and the state government has deliberately left the districts of many MPs of other parties. In the second phase, there are a few districts where the member of Parliament belongs to other parties too. Allahabad district is a good example of this. The second phase has been, in fact, announced as a political gimmick to show that the state government does not have any selfish motives behind the announcements. But the fact is that through this funding the ruling party wishes to enhance its voting power.
Uttar Pradesh has 80 representatives in the Lok Sabha.The maximum strength of the Lok Sabha envisaged by the Constitution is 552, up to 530 members to represent the states, up to 20 members to represent the Union Territories and not more than two members of the Anglo-Indian Community to be nominated by the President, if, in his opinion, that community is not adequately represented in the House. The total elective membership is distributed among the states in such a way that the ratio between the number of seats allotted to each state and the population of the state is, so far as practicable, the same for all states. The number is divided among the 28 states and the 7 union territories.
Let us wish that the enormous funding that will come to the state government trickles down to the farmers and is not used unnecessarily by the non-friendly barriers for ‘rent-seeking’ and ‘directly unproductive profit seeking activities’. Let us also wish that the remedial measures are honestly implemented for the welfare of the farmers. This could be done by actively affecting improvements in agriculture and in rural economy, initiating suitable insurance schemes, generating confidence amongst the affected people and making adequate financial provision to render relief effectively and quickly to drought-hit communities. The funds that the centre will be allocating must be rightfully spent and should filter down to those for whom they are meant. There should be a strict monitoring mechanism to safeguard this.
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