Arjun Munda wears a cap made of leaves at the farmers? fair. Picture by Ashok Karan

Ranchi, Feb. 26: Chief minister Arjun Munda today sought to connect with farmers by giving a waiver on electricity dues and announcing other sops but set targets for them to improve revenue earnings of the state.

Munda made the announcement while addressing around 3,000 farmers during the Kisan Mela organised by the department of agriculture at the Shahid ground.

Though the quantum of power dues outstanding against the farmers is yet to be calculated, sources in the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB) maintained that it was over Rs 200 crore. However, the decision will not affect JSEB?s financial health as it is all set to be trifurcated and the government has agreed to clear its debts.

Last year, Munda had waived loans up to Rs 10,000 crore secured by marginal farmers after mortgaging their land with the Land Development Bank. He is also considering waiving bigger loan amounts taken by small farmers.

But the bounty comes with a rider. Munda told the farmers that he expected a Rs 5,000-crore annual turnover from them by 2012. ?Herbal medicines, wormicompost and other agro-products have tremendous potential in Jharkhand. I am ready to extend all possible help but I want concrete results. Your annual turnover ought to exceed Rs 5,000 crore by 2012,? he said.

The chief minister, who chants the mantra of e-governance, appeared to have taken a leaf out of the book of Chandrababu Naidu, who put Andhra Pradesh on the information superhighway. ?I am preparing a data base through which I can reach out to the individual farmers. I want to end the role of middlemen. I am developing a software through which the farmers can contact me on the net and tell me about their problems, even when I am not around,? Munda said.

Till then, he said, he would regularly interact with the farmers through teleconferencing. Naidu, as chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, had put IT kiosks in villages for teleconferencing but failed to connect with the people, which ultimately led to his ouster from power.

Munda also instituted awards for farmers for outstanding performance. The first prize will be a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh, the second prize will fetch Rs 3 lakh and the third prize will be of Rs 2 lakh. These awards would be given to the farmers for their outstanding production and improving the productivity of their colleagues through guidance. The scheme will come in force from the next financial year.

?The geo-information system is now available in all the districts. It will help you assess the correct water table in every village. This facility ought to be utilised effectively. If you find that officials are digging wells at wrong places, talk to me directly. Keep a tab on corrupt officials. Next fiscal, you may not get the desired relief. But after that, your irrigation problems will solved. Our next budget has specific provisions for minor irrigation projects and rainwater harvesting too will taken care of,? he said.

The chief minister would also like to provide suitable markets to farmers.