What comes as a major bonanza for farmers in Madhya Pradesh is the state cabinet decision on Tuesday to extend additional subsidy of Rs 275 crore to the farm sector to offset the impact of the latest hike in electricity tariff by the Electricity Regulatory Authority.
Briefing about the cabinet decision at Mantralaya here, state minister Narottam Mishra told media persons that till now the state government was providing a subsidy of Rs 1925 crore to farmers. With the additional subsidy approved by the cabinet, the total subsidy to the farm sector now goes up to `2200 crore.
The farmers will continue to pay the old tariff and the extra amount that would now be charged due to hike in tariff would be paid by the state government, Mr Mishra said. He also went on to observe that the state BJP government, headed by Mr Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who is also a farmer, is fully committed to the cause of the farmers. The state cabinet has also decided to raise the upper age limit for direct recruitment in government service from 35 to 40 years. For scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, other backward castes, women, government servants, and employees of local bodies and state owned autonomous bodies, the upper age limit has been raised to 45 years.
The revised age limit will not be applicable for recruitment in Police, forest, excise and jail departments.