Farmers furious over cut of grant on electricity for irrigation

By Shashidhar Parajuli, Biratnagar, July 24: Grants to farmers for commercial farming that the local levels were providing have been affected after the federal government made the decision against such grants.

Farmers are now worried for the concessions provided to them under different topic including the electricity tariff used for irrigation has been cancelled.

Over half of dozen local levels including the Ratuwamai Municipality of Morang district have stopped providing grants on electricity tariff for augmenting local level agricultural production.

Ratuwamai Municipality on Wednesday issued a public notice to inform that it grants which were given since past have now been suspended, including the grants on electricity tariff for irrigation and health insurance of the poor.

The municipality said it took the decision following circular as per the decision of the Council of Ministers to not conduct distributive programme such as providing grant on gas, distribution of cycles, health insurance, electricity tariff for irrigation, hand pump.  

Damaru Ballabha Baral, chief administrative officer of the Ratuwamai Municipality, said that the municipality will not be able to provide electricity grant on irrigation because of the directives from the federal government.