Chief Minister Shivraj Singh has announced waiver of the pending penalty on electricity bills of farmers, payment of their fifty percent pending electricity bills, arrangement for payment of electricity bills by farmers twice in a year, extension of benefit of Deen Dayal Upchar Yojana to farmers owning upto one hectare of land, additional bonus of Rs. 100 per quintal on procurement of wheat on minimum support price this year. The Chief Minister also announced to reduce the interest rate on cooperative farm loans from seven to five percent from April one next. Chouhan was addressing a gathering of over one lakh farmers who attended the first ever Kisan Mahapanchayat held at the Jamboree Ground here today. Former Union Minister for Agriculture and National President of Bharatiya Janata Party Rajnath Singh was the chief guest on the occasion. The CM made various announcements in the interest of farmers, which would entail an expenditure of Rs. 5600 crore. The announcements are as follows: - The state government would offset 50 percent of the amount of energy charge of the overdue bills of irrigation pump consumers. The surcharge of the agricultural consumers up to 10 HP would be borne by the power distribution companies. - The farmers would get the facility of advance payment of electricity bills twice in a year from April 2008 for six months. - From April 2008 the consumers of irrigation pumps of up to 500 units (5 horsepowers) would be required to pay at the rate of 75 paise per unit. At present this rate is 120 paise per unit upto 300 units (3 HP) and 170 paise above it. Similarly, this rate for pumps with over 5 horsepower capacity would be 110 paise per unit instead of present 170 per unit. The lowering of rates would provide relief of 40 to 50 on the payment of electricity bills to agricultural consumers of all categories. - Camps would be organized for disposal of electricity related disputes in a time bound manner. - The feeders supplying power to irrigation pumps and domestic consumers in rural areas would be separated. - A permanent electrification scheme would be implemented for providing new pump connections to consumers of irrigation pumps. Under this, lines would be laid simultaneously with the polls. - The amount of grant for developing irrigation facilities in the agriculture fields under Balram Tal Yojana would be increased from Rs. 50,000 to Rs. 80,000. - Maximum assistance of Rs. 24,000 would be given to farmers of all sections for boring of tube wells and installing pumps on the tube wells. - Fifty percent tyrant or a maximum assistance of Rs. 10,000 would be provided to small and marginal farmers to purchase diesel or power pump sets for horticulture and fisheries. - Serial stop dams/check dams would be constructed on all major nullahs in every district. - An additional bonus of Rs. 100 per quintal would be given on the procurement of wheat on support price of Rs. 1000 per quintal announced by Government of India this year. - The state government would provide 30 percent grant on irrigation equipment like sprinklers, drip system, rain gun etc. - A Kisan Gyan Kendra would be set up in all 313 blocks of the state where information about modern farm techniques would be provided to farmers through Internet and computer. - A toll free telephone system would be installed to provide advice to farmers about agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry and fisheries and to solve their problems. - The state government would provide an additional grant of Rs. 2500 in addition to the grant given by Government of India for establishment of biogas plants measuring up to five cubic meters. - Grant would be provided to farmers on seeds treatment material for cent percent seeds treatment. - A tractor of 35 horsepower would be given to an outstanding farmer every year in the A class mandis of the state as award. In mandis of other categories one outstanding farmer would be awarded equipments worth Rs. 50 thousand every year. - A special scheme would be chalked out for production of betel leaf through modern techniques and grant of upto 75 percent would be given to betel leaf growers. - Value addition would be done of horticultural crops and requisite infrastructure like chilling plant, washing, shorting, packing sheds etc would be developed. - The government assistance for establishment of drip and sprinkler systems for irrigation of horticulture crops would be increased from 50 percent to 70 percent for farmers of general categories and 80 percent to the farmers of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes. - Arrangements of 3 Kisan training centres, farmers' tours to other states, high-tech orchards bio farming, distribution of plastic crate for preserving horticulture produce would be made in districts which are not covered under the National Horticulture Mission. - Improved breeds of goats would be provided in accordance with Nandishala to promote goat rearing in the state. - The state government would provide 25 percent grant for livestock insurance of milch animals of improved breed kept by small and marginal farmers. - The provision of promoting share recovered from farmers benefiting from irrigation schemes of command areas of 400 hectare of more under Madhya Pradesh Irrigation Act would be abolished. The CM Chouhan demanded the central government to waive the loans of farmers, not to delay the construction of power projects, to increase the APL foodgrain quota and to sanction a special package of Rs 24000 crore for districts of Rewa and Sagar divisions as demanded by the state government. Chouhan said that the state government had inherited debt and despite limited resources the all out efforts are being made to promote the welfare of farmers in the state.