Report of Fact Finding Team on Vidharbha Regional Disparities and Rural Distress in Maharashtra with particular reference to Vidarbha Government of India Planning Commission Contents Background…………………………………………………….…………………....................1- 5 The Terms of Reference for the team 2 Physical Fact Finding 3 Impressions………………………………………………………………………………………6-13 The feel 6 The contradictions 7 The perception and the problems 8 Official Versions 10 Conclusion 12 Organizing the study with reference to the Terms of Reference 13 Executive Summary…………………………………………………………………..............14-34 Background 14 Historical disregard of the Constitutional Provision for appropriate investment 14 Pegging of backlog 17 Time bound reduction of backlog 17 Monitoring mechanism to be improved 17 Allocations to become visible 18 Earmarking of allocations both by State and Planning Commission 18 Reporting 18 Suicides and action by the State 18 Causes for rural distress in Vidarbha 19 Distress in Cotton 20 The need for Water 24 Credit 26 Recapturing main recommendations 29 i Chapter 1: Rural Distress in Vidarbha: Issues related to cultivation of Cotton………………………………………35-63 Terms of Reference 3 35 Organization of material for studying the major causes of distress expressed by people in Vidarbha 35 General causes of distress 37 Cotton: Area and Production 38 Total production of Cotton 38 Bt-Cotton in India: Technical information regarding the genetic modification and approvals thereof 40 Productivity; Pests and disease; and technical performance 40 Yield and Technical Performance of Bt. Cotton in major cotton growing States 41 Yield and Technical Performance of Bt. Cotton in Maharashtra 41 Area expansion under Bt. Cotton in Vidarbha as well as Maharashtra 42 Other studies on Technical issues 42 Some conclusions regarding technical parameters and yield issues in Maharashtra/Vidarbha based upon State’s Report 42 High output of Bt. Cotton 43 Supply and Demand of Cotton 43 Technology Mission on Cotton 44 Deficiencies in the TMC approach 45 Import / Export Policy of cotton 45 Support Price (MSP) for cotton 45 The Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme (MCPS) 46 Procurement of cotton at MSP during 2004-05 47 Steps taken for stabilization of cotton prices 47 Cost of Production: Data from Akola Agricultural University 47 Input Output in rain-fed/irrigated conditions 47 Cost of production: IGIDR 48 Cost of production: Department of Economics and Statistics/CACP 48 General observations regarding Cost of Bt Cotton to the farmer; practices; and causes for low returns 48 Cost of Seed 49 ii Cost of production: Findings 51 Rural Credit Requirements 51 Credit Requirements of Yavatmal 51 Case study: Washim District 52 Summary of Findings under Rural Issues 54 Miseries of cotton growers of Vidarbha 54 The problems of citrus decline 57 Recommendations 57 Quality of Seeds and related issues 57 Improve Advisory and Extension 58 Supplementary Irrigation 58 Water Harvesting 58 Reduce use of Pesticides 59 Farming System Approach 59 Cotton Growers Federation 59 Improved Practices 59 Value Addition 60 Pricing Policies 60 Organic Farming 60 Counseling 60 Credit 60 Crop Insurance 63 Recommendations for Citrus in Vidarbha 64 Chapter 2: Special package announced by Maharashtra Government in December 2005…………………………………………………………………….65-67 Comments 66 Chapter 3: Issues related to removal of backlog in public Investment………………..68-79 Fact Finding Committee (1984) 70 Presidential Order (1994) 71 iii Indicators and Backlog Committee 72 Directives issued by the Governor of Maharashtra 74 Implementation of the Directives issued by the Governor 75 Existing mechanisms at the State level for monitoring removal of Backlog 77 Brief Summary 77 Recommendations 78 Chapter 4: Analysis of the mandatory nature of Constitutional Provisions and ability of Governor to make directives under Article 371 (2) of the Constitution…………………………………………….80-81 Recommendations 81 Chapter 5: Analysis of the working of the Statutory Development Boards……………………………………………………………82-87 Composition of the Board 82 Term of Office 82 Functions of the Development Board 82 Role of Development Boards in the Identification of Regional Backlog 83 Development Impact on Major Sectors 84 Perspective Plan for Utilization of Special Fund 85 Recommendations 86 Chapter 6: Backlog in Irrigation Development in Vidarbha…………………………………88-92 Backlog in Irrigation Development in Vidarbha 88 Development of Irrigation Potential 88 Vidarbha’s Backlog in Irrigation Sector 89 Irrigation Projects affected by Forest (C) Act, 1980 89 Recommendations under Irrigation 91 iv Chapter 7: Energisaition of Pumpsets & Energy Backlog…………………..…………93-96 Present Status 93 Pumps in Vidharbha 95 Remedial Strategies 96 Potential for electricity generation in Vidharba 96 Chapter 8: Recommendations…………………………..………………………………….97-106 Quality of Seeds and related issues 97 Improve Advisory and Extension 97 Supplementary Irrigation 97 Water Harvesting 98 Reduce use of Pesticides 98 Farming Systems Approach 98 Cotton Growers Federation 98 Improved Practices 98 Value Addition 99 Pricing Policies 99 Organic Farming 99 Counseling 99 Credit 100 Crop Insurance 103 Citrus in Vidarbha 103 Irrigation 104 Energisation of Pumpsets 104 Backlog 104 Development Boards 105 Constitutional Provisions 106 v ANNEXURES Annexu Headings Page No res A Special package announced by Maharashtra Government 107-108 in December 2005 B Constitution of a Fact Finding Committee to study the 109-110 situation regarding disparities in regional development in Maharashtra with particular emphasis on Vidarbha region C Field Visits of Sub Group A of the Fact Finding Team on 111-113 8th-11th March 2006 ((Nagpur, Yavatmal, Wardha, and Amravati) D Field Visits of Sub Group B of the Fact Finding Team on 114-118 8th-11th March 2006 (Akola, Buldana) E Field Visits of Sub Group C of the Fact Finding Team on 119-123 8th-11th March 2006 (Washim , Amravati) F Illustrative list of some gist of some of the Memoranda 124-130 received G List of Memoranda Received from Delegations 131-133 H List of Papers Received In Connection with the Study by 134-135 FFT I Brief Summary of the Discussions with Chief Secretary, 136-139 Chief Minister and Governor, Maharashtra J Current Scenario, Performance and future of desi cotton 140-143 in Vidharbha (MS) K Performance of Bt-Cotton in Major Cotton Growing States 144-146 L Technology Mission on Cotton 147-151 M Economics of Bt. Cotton hybrids under rainfed situation at 152 AICCIP, Akola 1 N Economics of Bt. Cotton hybrids under rainfed situation at 153 AICCIP, Akola 2 O Economics of Bt. Cotton hybrids under rainfed situationat 154 AICCIP, Akola 3 P Economics of Bt. Cotton hybrids under rainfed situationat 155 AICCIP, Akola 4 Q List of cultivation of Hirsutum cotton hybrids under 156 irrigated condition 2005-06 R Case Study: Rural Credit Requirements- Study conducted 157-163 in District Washim S Agricultural Insurance in Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra 164-165 T Comparative Analysis of Development Indicators, role of 166-196 Statutory Development Boards and Development Strategies U Physical Backlog of Agricultural Pumpsets & its percentage 197 V Position of Agriculture Pumpsets & Consumption of Energy 198 vi TABLES Table Headings Page Nos. Nos. 1 Area, Production and Yield of cotton in major cotton growing 199 States along with coverage under irrigation 2 Area, Production and Yield of cotton in different countries 200 3 Yield of cotton growing status along with coverage under 201 irrigation 4 The year-wise details of area under irrigated and area under 202 rain-fed 5 Bt Cotton Hybrids under cultivation in Maharashtra 203 6 The Specific Bt. Cotton varieties grown in Vidarbha as well 204 Maharashtra 7 Performance of Bt. Cotton hybrids against bollworms under 205 rainfed situation at AICCIP, Akola 8 The year-wise details of supply of and demand for cotton in 206 India 9 Export and import of cotton from 1996-97 to 2004-05 207 10 Minimum Support Price for Cotton in India 208 10A Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the Year 2005-06 209 11 Cotton : Cost of Production 210 11A Share of Cost of Production In Maharshtra, 2001-02 211 11B Cost of Production and Minimum Support Prices, 2004-05 212 12 Bank Branches (SAA) in the Vidarbha Region 213 13 Details of Deposits, Credits, CD ratio etc relating to the 11 214 Districts as on 31.03.2005 14 Statement showing the outlay allocated for Irrigation and the 215 expenditure incurred in the Annual Plans 2002-03 to 2004-05 15 Statement showing region-wise remaining financial backlog 216 in the sectors other than Irrigation as on 1 April 2005 by taking into account the expenditure for backlog removal during the Annual Plans 2000-01,2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05 16 Irrigation Statistics in different districts of Vidarbha Region 217 of Maharashtra 17 Completed Projects with Water resources Department, 218-219 Nagpur and V.I.D.C., Nagpur. 18 Ongoing Projects with Water Resources Department, 220-224 Nagpur and V.I.D.C., Nagpur. 19 District-Wise Ground Water Resources Availability, 225 Utilization and Stage of Development in Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra (in ha.m./yr) vii Report of Fact Finding Team on Vidharbha Set up on March 2nd, 2006 by Planning Commission Government of India To study the causes of Regional Disparities and Rural Distress in Maharashtra with particular reference to Vidharbha 30th May, 2006 Background Background (i) A number of suicides have been reported from Yavatmal, Akola, Amravati, Wardha, Buldana and Washim districts of Vidarbha area. Initially reports from the press suggested high indebtedness as the reason for suicides. Subsequently it was assumed that the cessation of Monopoly Purchase by Maharashtra for purchase of cotton was a major immediate trigger and had led to these suicides as farmers were not getting remunerative returns on cotton. Doubts were also raised about the yield actually obtained from Bt. Cotton. The possibility of lower returns from rain-fed areas was also raised. (ii) Issues related to rural distress have been covered by many studies earlier amongst which were the NCF1, under chairmanship of Dr.