Rajasthan government is running without agriculture minister. At a time when monsoon is progressing and Kharif plantation is at peak, absence of any agriculture minister looks strange. However, agriculture principal secretary Vaibhav Galriya is holding the fort for the government.
Kirodi Lal Meena, who was sworn in as agriculture minister has quit his office after tendering his resignation. However, acceptance of his resignation is still pending, which had only deepened the uncertainty in the ministry.
Amid such dilemma, principal secretary of agriculture Vaibhav Galriya has risen to the occasion. He is running the show without any minister. There has been proper supply of seeds, fertilisers and other inputs calming the nerves of farmers.
Recently, Vaibhav Galriya announced to have distributed claims of Rs 887 crore to the farmer against kharif 2023 compensation under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana. He said that remaining compensation will soon be disbursed to the farmers.
Apart from that, the government has sanctioned subsidy of Rs 461 crore for Rabi 2023-24.
“The timely disbursement of claims and subsidy will help increase liquidity of farmers. They can use the money for buying inputs. The government is taking serious steps to reduce farm stress,” said a senior agriculture department officer involved in claim disbursement.
Next two months crucial for Vaibhav Galriya
Rajasthan is mostly dependent on monsoon for agriculture. Rains starts receding from the state from last week of September. So next two months will be crucial for farming in Rajasthan. With forecast of good monsoon, sowing is likely to increase over last year.
”Since there is no political boss in the ministry, a lot would depend on principal secretary Vaibhav Galriya. He will have to expedite implementation as the monsoon window is of two months only,” said a senior official.
Galriya, who had served as Jaipur Development Authority commissioner, principal secretary in medical education and PWD, has a good track record. He is considered a proactive officer with positive approach.
“He is monitoring the situation tightly. He gets into every minute detail to ensure uninterrupted supply of seeds and fertiliser. For that he has been coordinating with centre regularly,” the official added.
Prakash Bhandari is a veteran journalist with over 50 years of experience. He has worked with The Times of India for 30 years and contributed to leading publications as well as international news agency AFP.
