Lok Sabha Question No. 298 (STARRED), answered on 2018-08-07
Subject: Relief Packages for Drought Affected Districts
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: SANJAY(KAKA) RAMCHANDRA PATIL, SADASHIV KISAN LOKHANDE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 298

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 7 TH  AUGUST, 2018

## RELIEF PACKAGES FOR DROUGHT AFFECTED DISTRICTS

- *298.      SHRI SANJAY KAKA PATIL: SHRI SADASHIV LOKHANDE:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  a  Central  supervisory  team  visited  the  drought  affected  districts  of Maharashtra in August, 2015, if so, the details thereof including the areas visited by the team and the outcome thereof;
- (b) whether the Union Government had approved a relief package of Rs. 3,049 crore for  the  farmers  of  drought  affected  districts  of  Maharashtra  on  29th  December,  2015 and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether a relief package of Rs. 2,000 crore had been approved earlier also, if so, the details of the total allocations made by the Union Government for the State, districtwise including Ahmednagar;
- (d) the amount utilized/being utilized under the said packages along with the manner in which it has been utilized; and
- (e) whether the Union  Government  has issued any directions to the State Government  of  Maharashtra  in  this  regard,  and  sought  the  details  of  district-wise allocations, if so, the details thereof and if not, the efforts of the Union Government for providing a relief package to drought affected areas of western and central Maharashtra?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण ½ãâ¨ããè

(SHRI RADHA MOHAN SINGH)

- (a) to (e): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (e)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.  298   DUE FOR REPLY ON 7 TH  AUGUST, 2018.

(a) & (b): Inter-Ministerial  Central  Team  (IMCT)  has  not  visited  Maharashtra  in  August 2015.  However,  the  State  Government  of  Maharashtra  submitted  Memorandum  on  12 th November,  2015  seeking  financial  assistance  of  Rs.4002.82  crore  from  National  Disaster Response  Fund  (NDRF)  in  the  wake  of  drought  during  Kharif  2015.  In  response  to  the Memorandum, IMCT was constituted on 12.11.2015, which visited Maharashtra during 19 th to 22 nd November,  2015  to  assess  the  situation  and  recommend  financial  assistance.  IMCT submitted its report on 04.12.2015, recommending Rs. 3098.79 crore. The recommendation of the IMCT was discussed in the meeting of the Sub-committee of National Executive Committee (SC-NEC) on 11.12.2015. SC-NEC recommended Rs.3049.36 crore. The recommendation of the SC-NEC was discussed by the High Level Committee (HLC) in the meeting held on 29.12.2015 and approved Rs. 3049.36 crore from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), subject to the adjustment of 50% of balance available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) account for the instant disaster. Besides, the State Government of Maharashtra also submitted Supplementary Memorandum for Drought Kharif 2015 and Memorandum for Drought Rabi 2015-16, seeking financial  assistance  of  Rs.2017.54  crore  and  Rs.2251.66  crore  respectively.  Based  on  the recommendations  of  the  IMCTs  and  the  recommendations  of  the  SC-NEC  thereon,  the  HLC approved Rs.589.47 crore (Kharif-supplementary) and Rs.679.54 crore (Rabi).

(c) to (e): Earlier  during  2014-15,  the  State  Government  of  Maharashtra  had  declared drought (Kharif 2014) in 26 districts, including Ahmednagar district and submitted Memorandum on 02.12.2014 seeking financial assistance of Rs.6013.28 crore from NDRF. In response to the Memorandum, IMCT was constituted on 02.12.2014. IMCT visited Maharashtra during  14 th to  17 th December,  2014,  recommending  Rs.  3815.45  crore  from  NDRF.  The recommendation  of the IMCT was  discussed in the meeting of the SC-NEC held on 10.03.2015.

SC-NEC recommended Rs.1962.99 crore. The recommendation of the SC-NEC was discussed by the HLC in the meeting held on 24 th March, 2015. The HLC approved Rs. 1962.99 crore from NDRF, subject to the adjustment of 75% of balance available in the SDRF account for the instant disaster.  In the same meeting, the HLC also approved Rs. 26.00 crore from special component of National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) for repair of damaged rural drinking water  supply  works.    The  amount  approved  by  the  HLC  is  for  the  State  as  a  whole.  The distribution of relief to the beneficiaries is the responsibility of the State Government. The State Government is required to take utmost care and ensure that all individual beneficiary-oriented assistance is mandatorily/necessarily disbursed through the bank account of the beneficiary.

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