Lok Sabha Question No. 1762 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-03-02
Subject: Creation of Jobs
Ministry: FINANCE
Asked by: Thalikkottai Rajuthevar Baalu

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF FINANCE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1762

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02 MARCH, 2020

## CREATION OF JOBS

1762. SHRI T. R. BAALU:

- Will the Minister of FINANCE be pleased to state: (a) whether the jobless growth is a real concern for the Government and it can't be said  with  any  level  of  certainty  that  an  economic  revival  will  automatically  create more jobs; (b) if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government in this regard along with the efforts contemplated by the Government for creating jobs; (c) whether there is a 16-point plan for agriculture in the 2020-21 union budget; (d) if so, the details thereof; and (e) whether it doesn't seem to involve any substantial increase in funding and if so,
- the remedial measures to be taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF FINANCE (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a) to (b) Promoting growth of the economy has always been the utmost priority of the government. There is expansion of employment opportunities and formalization of the economy as reflected in the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) membership.  As  per  press  release  of  the  EPFO  dated  20 th February,  2020, provisionally there was a net addition of 65.03 lakh payroll subscriber during 2019-20 (till December, 2019), as compared to 61.12 lakh in 2018-19 (April to March).

Government  has  implemented  several  major  structural  reforms  in  recent  years  to bolster  growth  and  in  turn  create  jobs.  These, inter-alia, include  Insolvency  and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) to strengthen the financial system, Goods and Services Tax (GST)  to  simplify  the  indirect  taxation  regime,  Make-in-India  programme  to  boost domestic manufacturing capacity through liberalization of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI),  the  corporate  tax  rate  cut  to  15  per  cent  for  new  domestic  manufacturing companies and Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile (JAM) Trinity towards greater transparency, efficiency and financial inclusion. The Government has also launched

the National Infrastructure Pipeline on 31st December, 2019 of Rs. 103 lakh crore.

Further,  Government  has  taken  various  steps  for  generating  employment  in  the country  like  encouraging  private  sector  of  economy,  fast-tracking  various  projects involving substantial investment and increasing public expenditure on schemes such as  Prime  Minister's  Employment  Generation  Programme  (PMEGP),  Mahatma Gandhi  National  Rural  Employment  Guarantee  Scheme  (MGNREGS),  Pt.  Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and Deendayal Antodaya Yojana National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM). The Government has also launched various schemes to promote the entrepreneurship, skilling  and  employment  through measures such as Startup India, Mudra Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Pradhan Mantri Rojgar Protsahan Yojana  (PMRPY),  National  Apprenticeship  Promotion  Scheme  (NAPS)  etc.  In addition,  flagship  programmes  of  the  Government  such  as  Digital  India,  Swachh Bharat  Mission,  Smart  City  Mission,  Atal  Mission  for  Rejuvenation  and  Urban Transformation, Housing for All, Infrastructure development and Industrial corridors have the potential to generate productive employment opportunities.

(c)  to  (d)  Yes  Madam. The details of the 16-point plan for agriculture in the Union Budget, 2020-21 are at Annexure.

(e)  There  is  a  substantial  increase  in  allocation  for  agriculture  and  allied  activities, irrigation  and  rural  development  to  about  Rs.  2,83,202  crore  in  2020-21(Budget Estimates) from Rs. 2,49,910 crore in 2019-20 (Revised Estimates).

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## Annexure  referred  to  part  (c)  and  (d)  of  the  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Question No.1762 on 'Creation of Jobs' due for answer on 02.03.2020

The details of 16-point plan for agriculture as specified in the Para No. 23 of Budget Speech 2020-21of the Hon'ble Finance Minister are as follows:

23. Adopting sustainable cropping patterns and bringing in more technology are integral to our plan.  All this and more can be achieved through working with and in cooperation with the States.  The following 16 action points indicate our focus:

23 (1). We  propose  to  encourage  those  State  governments  who  undertake implementation of following model laws already issued by the Central government:

- a)  Model Agricultural Land Leasing Act, 2016
- b)  Model  Agricultural  Produce  and  Livestock  Marketing  (Promotion  and Facilitation) Act, 2017; and
- c)  Model Agricultural Produce and Livestock Contract Farming and Services (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2018

23 (2). Water  stress  related  issues  are  now  a  serious  concern  across  the  country. Our  government  is  proposing  comprehensive  measures  for  one  hundred  water stressed districts.

23 (3). In  the  Budget  speech  of  July  2019,  I  had  stated  that  'annadata'  can  be 'urjadata'  too.  The  PM-KUSUM  scheme  removed  farmers'  dependence  on  diesel and kerosene and linked pump sets to solar energy. Now, I propose to expand the scheme to provide 20 lakh farmers for setting up stand-alone solar pumps; further we shall also help another 15 lakh farmers solarise their grid-connected pump sets. In addition, a scheme to enable farmers to set up solar power generation capacity on their fallow/barren lands and to sell it to the grid would be operationalized.

23 (4). Our  government  shall  encourage  balanced  use  of  all  kinds  of  fertilizers including the traditional organic and other innovative fertilizers. This is a necessary step to change the prevailing incentive regime, which encourages excessive use of chemical fertilizers.

23 (5) .  India  has an estimated capacity of 162 million MT of agri-warehousing, cold storage, reefer van facilities etc.  NABARD will undertake an exercise to map and geo-tag them.  In addition, we propose creating warehousing, in line with Warehouse Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) norms. Our government will provide Viability  Gap  Funding  for  setting  up  such  efficient  warehouses  at  the  block/taluk level.  This can be achieved, where States can facilitate with land and are on a PPP mode. Food Corporation of India (FCI) and Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) shall undertake such warehouse building on their land too.

23 (6) .  As a backward linkage, a Village Storage scheme is proposed to be run by the  SHGs.    This  will  provide  farmers  a  good  holding  capacity  and  reduce  their logistics cost.  Women, SHGs shall regain their position as 'Dhaanya Lakshmi'.

23 (7). To build a seamless national cold supply chain for perishables, inclusive of milk,  meat  and  fish,  the  Indian  Railways  will  set  up  a  'Kisan  Rail'  -  through  PPP arrangements. There shall be refrigerated coaches in Express and Freight trains as well.

23 (8). Krishi Udaan will be launched by the Ministry of Civil Aviation on international and national routes. This will immensely help improve value realisation especially in North-East and tribal districts.

23  (9). Horticulture  sector  with  its  current  produce  of  311  million  MT  exceeds production of food grains.  For better marketing and export, we propose supporting States which, adopting a cluster basis, will focus on 'one product one district'.

23  (10). Integrated  farming  systems  in  rainfed  areas  shall  be  expanded.  Multi-tier cropping, bee-keeping, solar pumps, solar energy production in non-cropping season will  be  added. Zero-Budget Natural Farming (mentioned in July 2019 budget) shall also  be  included.    The  portal  on  'jaivik  kheti'  -  online  national  organic  products market will also be strengthened.

23 (11). Financing on Negotiable Warehousing Receipts (e-NWR) has crossed more than Rs. 6000 crore. This will be integrated with e-NAM.

23 (12) .  Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) and cooperatives are active in the  agriculture  credit  space.    The  NABARD  re-finance  scheme  will  be  further expanded.  Agriculture credit target for the year 2020-21 has been set at Rs.15 lakh crore. All eligible beneficiaries of PM-KISAN will be covered under the KCC scheme.

23 (13). Our government intends to eliminate Foot and Mouth disease, brucellosis in cattle  and  also peste  des  petits  ruminants (PPR)  in  sheep  and  goat  by  2025. Coverage of artificial insemination shall be increased from the present 30% to 70%. MNREGS would be dovetailed to develop fodder farms. Further, we shall facilitate doubling of milk processing capacity from 53.5 million MT to 108 million MT by 2025.

23 (14). Blue Economy: Our government proposes to put in place a framework for development, management and conservation of marine fishery resources.

23 (15). Youth in coastal areas benefit through fish processing and marketing.  By 2022-23, I propose raising fish production to 200 lakh tonnes. Growing of algae, seaweed and cage Culture will also be promoted.

Our government will  involve  youth  in  fishery  extension  through  3477  Sagar Mitras  and  500  Fish  Farmer  Producer  Organisations.  We  hope  to  raise  fishery exports to Rs. 1 lakh crore by 2024-25.

23  (16). Under  Deen  Dayal  Antyodaya  Yojana  for  alleviation  of  poverty,  58  lakh SHGs have been mobilised. We shall further expand on SHGs.