(a) the nature of facilities and benefits being provided free of cost to the farmers of the country including toll free numbers;
(b) whether these facilities/benefits are provided to all the States including Punjab;
(c) if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise; and
(d) the steps taken by the Government to spread awareness amongst farmers to avail such facilities?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PROCESSING INDUSTRIES (DR. SANJEEV KUMAR BALYAN)
(a): The nature of facilities and benefits being provided to the farmers of the country free of cost include support in the form of training, demonstrations, exposure visits, exhibitions and fairs, information delivery through the programmes of Doordarshan and All India Radio, provision of toll free numbers at the Kisan Call Centres to respond to farmers’ queries, ICT enabled services in the form of portals & web-based applications, SMS services etc.
(b) & (c): These facilities/benefits are provided to the farmers from all the States and UTs including Punjab. State-wise details of activities under Extension Reforms and location of Kisan Call Centres have been given in Annexures- I & II. A network of 638 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs) has been created in all the States and UTs of Andaman & Nikobar, Lakshadweep and Puducherry in the country for the benefit of farmers.
(d): Awareness of these facilities/benefits is carried under various mass media and publicity initiatives under different programmes as detailed at Annexure III.