Lok Sabha Question No. 2701 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-01
Subject: Compensation to Farmers’ Family
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: A.P. JITHENDER REDDY, RENUKA BUTTA, S.P. MUDDAHANUMEGOWDA, YERRAM VENKATA SUBBAREDDY, V. SATHYABAMA

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2701

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE  1 ST  AUGUST, 2017

## COMPENSATION TO FARMERS' FAMILY

2701.  SHRI A.P. JITHENDER REDDY: SHRIMATI BUTTA RENUKA: SHRI S.P. MUDDAHANUME GOWDA,: SHRI Y.V. SUBBA REDDY: SHRIMATI V. SATHYA BAMA:

Will  the  Minister  of  AGRICULTURE  AND  FARMERS  WELFARE      ‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान कयाण ½ãâ¨ããè be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to provide financial assistance/compensation to the deceased farmer's family to stop further loss of life and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether the Government is showing laxity in disbursing compensation to the kin of farmers who committed suicide due to distress in agriculture sector, if so, the details thereof, State-wise;
- (c) the  time  by  which  the  Government  would  disburse  compensation  to  the  kin  of farmers through State Governments;
- (d) whether NITI Aayog has suggested to put forth a strategy to address the issues of  farmers  suicide  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  response  of  the  Government thereto;
- (e) whether the Government has formed any task-force or fact finding teams to find out the true cause of suicide by farmers in the country and if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the said task forces, so far, in this regard; and
- (f) whether the Government has collaborated with the Health Ministry to formulate programmes to address the mental health issues the farmers face given the high rate of farmers suicide and if so, the details thereof, if not, the reasons thereon?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF  STATE IN THE  MINISTRY OF  AGRICULTURE AND  FARMERS  WELFARE

‡ãðŠãäÓã एवं  कसान  कयाण ½ãâ¨ããÊã¾ã  ½ãñâ  Àã·¾ã  ½ãâ¨ããè (  SHRI PARSHOTTAM RUPALA)

- (a) to (c): State Governments provide relief to families  that  face farmer suicides. As per information available from the States, the details of relief etc. being provided are as follows:

-  State Government of Maharashtra gives Ex-gratia relief of Rs.1.00 lakh to the heirs of the deceased farmer. The three norms of eligibility for ex-gratia are crop failure, indebtedness and harassment due to inability to pay agriculture related loans.
-  The Punjab Government had constituted committee for providing compensation to victims' family to the extent of Rs. 3.00 lakh. It has also introduced 'Punjab Relief of Agriculture Indebtedness Bill' which will provide relief to the farmers from debt trap.
-  Government  of  Andhra  Pradesh  is  providing  Rs.5.00  lakh  compensation  to  the family  members  of  the  deceased  farmers.  Out  of  which  Rs.1.50  lakh  is  one  time settlement to wipe off loans/ liabilities and Rs.3.50 lakh towards rehabilitation of the family members.
-  The  Government  of  Telangana  has  enhanced  Ex-gratia  from Rs.1.00 lakh to Rs.5.00  lakh  to  the  family  of  the  deceased  farmer,  towards  rehabilitation  of  the family  and has  enhanced  loan  settlement  ceiling  limit from Rs.50 thousand to Rs.1.00 lakh to the persons entitled, as a one time settlement and to wipe off all the liabilities on the part of deceased families of the farmers.
-  In Karnataka an amount of Rs.1.00 lakh has been given to each of the deceased family from 2003-04 to 2014-15. From 01.04.2015 an amount of Rs.5.00 lakh relief is provided to each of the deceased family and the children of the deceased will get free education up to post graduation including hostel facilities.

(d): The Government is aware of the roadmap outlined by NITI Aayog for reforms in agriculture sector and doubling farmers income by 2022 to address the issues of farmer suicide. The Roadmap presents a quantitative framework for doubling farmers' income which has identified seven sources of growth. These are:

- (i)   increase in productivity of crops.
- (ii)  increase in production of livestock.
- (iii) improvement in efficiency of input use (cost saving).
- (iv) increase in crop intensity.
- (v) diversification towards high value crops.
- (vi) improved price realization by farmers.
- (vii) shift of cultivators to non-farm jobs.

This Policy paper was shared with the States/UTs for devising a relevant strategy so as to realize the goal of doubling farmers' income by 2022. Apart from the above, the Department  has  also  constituted  an  Inter-Ministerial  Committee  for  recommending suitable strategy.

(e): A study titled 'Farmer Suicides: An all India Study'  has  been conducted during 2016-17  by  the  Government  to  ascertain  various  reasons  for  the  growing  number  of farmers suicide in the country. This Pan-India study was carried out in 13 major suicide prone states namely: Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Punjab, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. The study was assigned to Agriculture Research Unit, ISEC Bangalore and was completed with the association of the Agro-Economic Research Centres. The reference year of the study was decided as the agriculture year 2015-16 (June, 2015 May, 2016).

(f): The  Government  is  supporting  implementation  of  the  District  Mental  Health Programme (DMHP) under National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 444 districts of the country for detection, management and treatment of mental disorders/illness. The DMHP has been restructured to include additional components like suicide prevention services, work place stress management, life skills training and counseling in schools and  colleges.  Support  is  also  provided  for  Central/  State  Mental  Health  Authorities, Research  and  Training  and  for  Information,  Education  and  Communication  (IEC) activities.  States  concerned  are  requested  to  submit  Project  implementation  Plans (PIPs) for various health initiatives  including mental  health  for  implementation in  their States. Already all states have been requested by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to  prepare  a  detailed  action  plan  for  addressing  issue  of  suicides  by  farmers  duly analyzing districts wherein such cases are coming and submit the same also to Ministry.

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