MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
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(a) & (b): Yes Sir. The Government has constituted a High Powered Committee of Chief Ministers for ‘Transformation of Indian Agriculture’ on 01.07.2019 with the following composition:
i) Sh. Devendra Fadnavis, Chief Minister,Maharashtra : Convenor
ii) Sh. H.D. Kumaraswamy, Chief Minister, Karnataka : Member
iii)Sh. Manohar Lal Khattar, Chief Minister, Haryana : Member
iv) Sh. Pema Khandu, Chief Minister, Arunachal Pradesh : Member
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v) Sh. Vijay Rupani, Chief Minister, Gujarat : Member
vi) Sh. Yogi Adityanath, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh : Member
vii) Sh. Kamal Nath, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh : Member
viii) Sh. Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister, Agriculture,
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, GoI : Member
ix) Prof. Ramesh Chand, Member, NITI Aayog : Member- Secretary
(c): Yes Sir, since Agriculture is a State subject. The State/UT Governments undertake development of perspective plans and ensure effective implementation of the programmes/ schemes. Government of India supplements these efforts through various Schemes/ Programmes aimed at inter-alia improving production, post harvest management, progressive agri-market reforms, access to credit, risk management and income support. Hence Government of India and States work in tandem for optimising outcomes of the various programmes implemented at district / block level for the benefit of farmers.
(d) & (e): All schemes of Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare are for enhanced agriculture production and related activities to contribute to the national target of doubling farmers income by 2022. Every scheme has an inbuilt mechanism for periodical review in consultation with the implementing states and suitable measures are taken for improving outcomes constantly and benefits to farmers.
Keeping in view the performance of various initiatives, some more interventions have been made to improve the quality of life of farmers. Important of which are:
i) Simplification of procedures to avail Kisan Credit Cards (KCC), which provides agriculture credit to farmers at subsidized rates, with a 2% interest subvention (IS) and Prompt Repayment Incentive (PRI) of 3% so as to make the effective rate of interest as 4% include:
- Activities relating to Animal Husbandry and Fisheries included in KCC - benefits of IS and PRI also extended
- Indian Banker’s Association has waived off processing fee, inspection, ledger folio charges and all other service charges for renewal/fresh issue of KCC.
- RBI has raised the collateral free agriculture loan limit from existing Rs.1 lakh to Rs.1.60 lakh.
ii) Claims of Rs. 8,665 crore were paid to 553.01 lakh farmers in the year 2018-19 under Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY).
iii) Giving a major boost for the farmers income, the Government approved the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops for 2018-19 season at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production.
iv) To provide income support to all farmers’ families across the country and enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs, the Government started a new Central Sector Scheme, namely, the Pradhan Mantri Kisan
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Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN). The scheme aims to provide a payment of Rs. 6000/- per year, in three 4-monthly installments of Rs. 2000/- to the farmers, subject to certain exclusions relating to higher income groups. An amount of Rs. 12646.579 crore has been distributed to 632.32895 lakh farmers in the year 2018-19.
v) To provide social security net for Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to provide for old age and to support them in the event of consequent loss of livelihood, the Government has decided to implement another new Central Sector Scheme for providing old age pension to these farmers. Under this Scheme, a minimum fixed pension of Rs. 3000/- be provided to the eligible small and marginal farmers, subject to certain exclusion clauses, on attaining the age of 60 years. The scheme aims to cover around 5 crore beneficiaries in the first three years. It would be a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, with entry age of 18 to 40 years. The Government has approved a budgetary provision of Rs. 10774.50 crore for the scheme till March, 2022.
(vi) Giving a major boost to the pro-farmer initiatives, the Government has approved a new Umbrella Scheme ‘Pradhan Mantri Annadata Aay Sanrakshan Abhiyan (PM-AASHA)’. The Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their produce as announced in the Union Budget for 2018. This is an unprecedented step taken by Govt. of India towards the welfare of farmers.
(vii) 585 wholesale regulated markets of 16 States and 02 UTs have been integrated with National Agriculture Market (e-NAM) platform. e-NAM has recently achieved another milestone by commencing inter-State trade between mandis of two different States. Earlier trade used to happen either within the Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) or between two APMCs situated within same state. Eleven States/UT have participated in inter-state trade on e-NAM platform.
(f): It is very important that States make full use to the central assistance by timely submission of data required, utilisation certificates and progress reports of funds released in earlier year and annual action plan.
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