Patna, July 4: Farmers in Bihar believe that the state government’s claim of providing respite amid fear of a drought-like condition through diesel subsidy schemes is a mere eyewash and hardly comes in handy during crises.

Though the agriculture department has claimed to have provided Rs 619.75 crore for 2012-13 to tillers in all districts across the state as diesel subsidy, the farmers claim that it hardly reaches them. Some farmers complained that even if the amounts reached them, the relief came rarely on time.

“The method of actual procurement of diesel subsidy from the authorities is cumbersome. It is hardly of any help to the farmers. The scheme asks the farmers to procure the diesel on their own, take cash-memo and irrigate the land on their own. It also asks the tiller to give verifications from farmers, who are cultivating in the adjoining lands,” said Yatindra Nath Tiwari, a farmer at Bhorey block in Gopalganj district.

He added: “Then, the application has to be submitted to the Kisaan Salahkar (farmers’ adviser). Even after submitting the application, the subsidy amount reaches around six months to over a year late. There are several bottlenecks in the entire process because of which farmers hardly get any immediate benefit.”

Ravindra Prasad Yadav, a farmer from Madhubani, said: “The amount of diesel subsidy is either caught in corruption at the level of the mukhiya or sarpanch, who are involved in the distribution channel of the subsidy amount at villages. When it reaches the farmers, it’s already too late.”

He added: “For instance, at present most of the farmers are waiting for transplanting the paddy seedlings but they are not able to do so due to lull in the monsoon. The only other way to keep the saplings alive is through irrigation sources, which is mostly done through water pumps. However, despite the announcement of diesel subsidy allotment in the last week of June, no amount has reached us till date, when a majority of the seeds in our farms are wilting.”

The state has received 89.3mm rainfall in June against the normal of 169.7mm, which has created a deficiency of 47 per cent. This is the lowest deficient monsoon rainfall during the past three years (2010-12). The monsoon rainfall between June 1 and 26 last year was 23 per cent surplus of the normal and the same in the drought year (2010) was 35 per cent deficient.

Authorities claimed that necessary steps are being taken to meet the exigencies.

“We are receiving applications for diesel subsidy during the period of June 19 and October 30 for this year. Every farmer would be entitled to Rs 200 per hectare per irrigation spell with a maximum of Rs 600 per acre, considering a maximum of three irrigation spells. Allotment letters have also been sent to all the district magistrates. We have also prepared a contingency plan, which would be circulated to all the districts within a week,” said A.C. Jain, the deputy director (information), state agriculture department.

A drought-like situation is looming over Saran and the demand to declare it drought-hit is gaining momentum. The rainfall should have been 145.11mm in June but only 45.1mm rain was recorded during the month.