Lok Sabha Question No. 2195 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-31
Subject: Drought Affected Areas
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: HARISHCHANDRA DEORAM CHAVAN, LAXMAN GILUWA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2195

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 31 ST   JULY, 2018

## DROUGHT AFFECTED AREAS

2195.    SHRI HARISHCHANDRA CHAVAN: SHRI LAXMAN GILUWA:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the continued state of drought in several areas has led to starvation, suicide by the farmers, economic backwardness and other painful situations;
- (b) if so, the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (c) the works undertaken by the Governments to provide relief in these areas in the wake of the said situations; and
- (d) the details of the progress made by the Government in this regard so far?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

## कृ षि एवं ककसान कल्याण मंत्रालय में राज्य मंत्री (SHRI  GAJENDRA SINGH SEKHAWAT)

(a) to (d): The State Governments are primarily responsible for providing necessary relief in the wake  of  natural  calamities.  Government  of  India  supplements  efforts  of  State  Governments  with financial assistance. For undertaking relief measures, funds are available with the State Governments in the form of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over  and  above  SDRF,  is  considered  from  National  Disaster  Response  Fund  (NDRF)  for  natural calamities  of  severe  nature  and  is  approved  on  the  basis  of  Memorandum  received  from  State Governments in accordance with established procedure, keeping in view items and norms in vogue for assistance. The State Governments have not reported cases of starvation or suicide by farmers due  to  drought,  while  submitting  the  Memorandum.  Further,  the  National  Crime  Records  Bureau (NCRB)  under  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs,  which  compiles  and  disseminates  information  on suicides  in  its  publication  titled  'Accidental  Deaths  and  Suicides  in  India'  (ADSI),  has  also  not provided any data on suicides committed by farmers and agricultural labourers due to starvation.

Agriculture is a state subject. Agrarian distress can be addressed by enabling the farmers to increase their income. The Government is targeting to double the income of the farmers by the year 2022. To achieve this, the Department of Agriculture, Cooperation and Farmers Welfare has taken a number of measures.  The Government has been reorienting the agriculture sector by focusing on an income-centeredness, in addition to  pure  production  centeredness approach. The  Department has,  therefore,  been  implementing  various  schemes  to  meet  this  objective  viz.  Soil  Health  Card (SHC)  scheme,  Neem  Coated  Urea,  Paramparagat  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (PKVY),  Pradhan  Mantri Krishi  Sinchai  Yojana  (PMKSY),  National  Agriculture  Market  Scheme  (e-NAM),  Pradhan  Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Interest Subvention Scheme etc.