Lok Sabha Question No. 224 (STARRED), answered on 2019-07-09
Subject: Policy to Control Farmers’ Suicides
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Raghu Ramakrishna Raju Kanumuru

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

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 224

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE   9 TH  JULY, 2019

## POLICY TO CONTROL FARMERS' SUICIDES

- *224.    SHRI KANUMURU RAGHU RAMA KRISHANA RAJU:

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

- (a) whether the Supreme Court has suggested the Government to bring out a national policy on farmers' suicides in order to ascertain the reasons for their suicides and the need for proper protection of their crops from natural calamities and also for holistic approach for their well-being;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी

- (a) to (c):

(SHRI NARENDRA  SINGH TOMAR)

A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  TO  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 224   DUE FOR REPLY ON 9 TH  JULY, 2019.

(a) & (b): In  the  case  of  Citizens  Resource  and  Action  Initiative  (CRANTI)  Vs.  State  of Gujarat & Ors., while listening the submissions by the learned Attorney General, about the various measures/schemes initiated by the  Government of India to secure the livelihood of individuals involved in agriculture, the Supreme Court in its order dated 6 th July,  2017 has stated that an issue like this cannot be dealt with overnight, and it is justified for the Attorney General to seek time to work out the schemes appropriately. Further, Supreme Court has stated that it will be for the Union Government to determine whether and if so what, course should be adopted for this purpose.

(c): Agriculture being a State subject, the State Governments undertake development of perspective  plans  and  ensure,  effective  implementation  of  the  programmes/schemes. Government  of  India  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  State  Governments  through  various Schemes/  Programmes.  The  Government  has  been  reorienting  the  agriculture  sector  by focusing on an income-centric approach as against the earlier production centric policy.  This focuses on achieving high productivity, reduced cost of cultivation and remunerative price on the  produce,  with  a  view  to  earning  higher  profits  for  the  farmers.  A  list  of  various interventions taken by the Government is as annexed.

## Annexure

## Statement in respect of Part (c) of the Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 224 due for 09.07.2019   regarding ' Policy to Control Farmers' Suicides '

The strategy of the Government is to focus on farmers' welfare by making farming viable.  The  schemes  of  Department  of  Agriculture,  Cooperation  and  Farmers Welfare focus  on  directly  benefitting  farmers  through  various  interventions  and  schemes  and include:-

- (i)    Implementation of flagship scheme of distribution of Soil Health Cards to farmers so that the use of fertilizers can be rationalized.

(ii) 'Per drop more  crop' initiative under which drip/sprinkler irrigation is being encouraged  for  optimal  utilization  of  water,  reducing  cost  of  inputs  and  increasing productivity.

- (iii)    'Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana (PKVY)' for promoting organic farming.
- (iv)   Launch  of  e-NAM  initiative  to  provide  farmers  an  electronic  transparent  and competitive online trading platform.
- (v)   With a view to provide better insurance coverage to crops for risk mitigation, a crop insurance scheme namely Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) was launched from  Kharif  2016  season.  This  scheme  provides  insurance  cover  for  all  stages  of  the crop cycle including post-harvest  risks  in  specified  instances,  with  low  premium contribution by farmers.
- (vi)     Under  'Har  Medh  Par  Ped',  agro  forestry  is  being  promoted  for  additional income.  With the amendment of Indian Forest Act, 1927, Bamboo has been removed from the definition of trees. A restructured National Bamboo Mission has been launched in  the  year  2018  to  promote  bamboo  plantation  on  non  forest  government  as  well  as private land and emphasis on value addition, product development and  markets.
- (vii)     Giving a major boost for the farmer's income, the Government has approved the increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSPs) for all Kharif & Rabi crops for 2018-19 season at a level of at least 150 percent of the cost of production.

(viii)   Giving a major boost to the pro-farmer initiatives, the Government has approved a new  Umbrella  Scheme  'Pradhan  Mantri Annadata  Aay  Sanrakshan  Abhiyan  (PMAASHA)'.  The  Scheme is aimed at ensuring remunerative prices to the farmers for their

Contd…2/-

-2- produce  as  announced  in  the  Union  Budget  for  2018. This  is  an  unprecedented  step taken by Govt. of India to protect the farmers' income which is expected to go a long way towards the welfare of farmers.

(ix)       Bee  keeping  has  been  promoted  under  Mission  for  Integrated  Development  of Horticulture (MIDH) to increase the productivity of crops through pollination and increase the honey production as an additional source of income of farmers.

(x)      Rashtriya    Gokul  Mission  to  enhance  milk  production  and  productivity of  bovines and to make milk production more remunerative to the farmers.

(xi)     National  Livestock  Mission  to  increase  productivity  and  genetic  improvement  of livestock.

(xii)       Foreseeing  high  potential  in  fisheries  sector,  a  Blue  Revolution  with  multi dimensional activities mainly focusing on fisheries production, both inland and marine is being implemented.

(xiii)  Extending the reach of institutional credit to more and more farmers is priority area of  the  Government  and  to  achieve  this  goal,  the  Government  provides  interest subvention  of  3%  on  short-term  crop  loans  up  to  Rs.3.00  lakh.  Presently,  loan  is available to farmers at an interest rate of 7% per annum, which gets reduced to 4% on prompt repayment.

(xiv)  Government sets annual target for the flow of credit to the agriculture sector, Banks have  been  consistently  surpassing  the  annual  target.  The  current  year's  agriculture credit flow target has been set at Rs. 13.50 lakh crore.

(xv)   Further, under Interest Subvention Scheme 2018-19, in order to provide relief to the  farmers  on  occurrence  of  natural  calamities,  the  interest  subvention  of  2%  shall continue to be available to banks for the first year on the restructured amount. In order to discourage  distress  sale  by  farmers  and  to  encourage  them  to  store  their  produce  in warehouses  against  negotiable  receipts,  the  benefit  of  interest  subvention  will  be available to small and marginal farmers having Kisan Credit Card for a further period of upto six months post harvest on the same rate as available to crop loan.

(xvi)    The Government has approved for giving the facility of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) to the farmers practicing animal husbandry and fisheries related   activities and has also decided to extend the Interest Subvention Facilities to such categories of farmers.

(xvii)    With a view to provide income support to all farmers' families across the country, to enable them to take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as  domestic  needs,  the  Central  Government  started  a  new  Central  Sector  Scheme, namely,  the  Pradhan  Mantri  Kisan  Samman  Nidhi  (PM-KISAN).  The  scheme  aims  to provide a payment of Rs. 6000/- per year, in three 4-monthly instalments of Rs. 2000/- to the  farmers  families,  subject  to  certain  exclusions  relating  to  higher  income  groups. About 14.5 crore farmers are expected to be covered under the Scheme.

(xviii)    Further with a view to provide social security net for Small and Marginal Farmers (SMF) as they have minimal or no savings to provide for old age and to support them in the event of consequent loss of livelihood, the Government has decided to implement another  new  Central  Sector  Scheme  for  providing  old  age  pension  to  these  farmers. Under  this  Scheme,  a  minimum  fixed  pension  of  Rs.  3000/-  will  be  provided  to  the eligible small and marginal farmers, subject to certain exclusion clauses, on attaining the age of 60 years. The scheme aims to cover around 5 crore beneficiaries in the first three years. It would be a voluntary and contributory pension scheme, with entry age of 18 to 40 years. The Government has approved a budgetary provision of Rs. 10774.50 crore for the scheme till March, 2022.

******