Lok Sabha Question No. 340 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Assistance for Crop Loss
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav, Krupal Balaji Tumane

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.340

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH  NOVEMBER, 2019

## ASSISTANCE FOR CROP LOSS

340.   SHRI SANJAY JADHAV: SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  the  places  in  Maharashtra  which  were  recently  affected  by  rain  and hailstorm in Marathwada area of Maharashtra;
- (b) whether crops have been damaged in these areas/places and whether any assessment has been made by the Union Government in this regard and if so, the details thereof including the number of farmers whose crops have been damaged, the details of the farmers who have been affected and the assessment of the losses;
- (c) whether any report has been received from the State in this regard and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Union Government has helped these farmers with funds/ subsidy and if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Union Government has compensated these rain affected farmers and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
- (f) the steps taken by the Union Government to improve the condition of the farmers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) to (e): During current year Government of Maharashtra has not submitted any memorandum seeking financial assistance from NDRF in the wake of hailstorm. Rain has not been notified as a natural calamity by the Government of India.

In the eventuality of notified natural calamities, the State Governments are empowered to initiate necessary relief measures from State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), which is readily available with them. Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), on receipt of Memorandum from State Governments and in accordance with extant norms and procedures. State Governments may however use up to 10 per cent of the funds available under SDRF for providing immediate relief to the victims of natural  disasters  that  they  consider  to  be  'disasters'  within  the  local  context  in  the  State  and which  are  not  included  in  the  notified  list  of  disasters  of  the  Ministry  of  Home  Affairs, Government  of  India  and  incur  expenditure  as  per  the  SDRF/NDRF  guidelines,  issued  by Government of India (Ministry of Home Affairs) on 08.04.2015.

Government of India has also released the Central Share of SDRF of Rs.1276.125 crore for  Maharashtra  during  2019-20.  Further,  Government  has  introduced  yield  based  Pradhan Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY).  Under  Pradhan  Mantri  Fasal  Bima  Yojana  (PMFBY), claims  are  provided  to  insured  farmers  for  notified  crops  against  the  shortfall  in  yield  due  to adverse  climatic  conditions  as  per  the  formula  envisaged  in  operational  guidelines  of  the scheme.

(f) The  Government  of  India  has  evolved  several  schemes/programmes  to  improve  the condition  of  farmers  namely  Soil  Health  Card  (SHC),  Rashtriya  Krishi  Vikas  Yojana  (RKVY), Pradhan  Mantri  Krishi  Sinchayee  Yojana  (PMKSY),  National  Agriculture  Market  Scheme  (eNAM),  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of  Horticulture  (MIDH),  National  Food  Security Mission (NFSM) and Pradhan Mantri KIsan SAmman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) etc.

Besides, Government of India has prepared crop contingency plan for 650 districts in the country to sustain  agriculture  production in the  eventuality  of any  sudden change in weather. Based on the Crop Weather Watch Group Report advisories are being issued to the States/ Union Territories  for  implementation  of contingency  plans.  Besides, there  is  also  a system to send weather based advisory to registered farmers by SMS through m-Kisan Portal.

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