Lok Sabha Question No. 336 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-19
Subject: Farmer Suicides over Loans
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: D. Ravikumar, T.N. Prathapan, Sougata Ray

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

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.336

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 19 TH  NOVEMBER, 2019

## FARMER SUICIDES OVER LOANS

336.     SHRI RAVIKUMAR D: SHRI T.N. PRATHAPAN: PROF. SAUGATA RAY:

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

- (a) whether    the  Government  has  the  data  of  suicide  of  farmers  in  the  country,  if  so,  the details thereof for the last four financial years, State-wise;
- (b) whether    the  Government  has  any  idea  about  the  loans  of  farmers  who  committed suicide, if so, the details of the average liability of a farmer who committed suicide;
- (c) whether the Government has any proposal to write off the existing loans of the farmers who committed suicide as well as those of small and medium farmers, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether    the  Government  has  the  data  of  waived  loans  of  farmers  in  the  last  four financial years, the details thereof;
- (e) the initiatives taken by the Government to support the farmers financially and increase their income, the details thereof; and
- (f) whether  the Government has any programmes for providing psychological support for farmers to check the instances of suicide among debt ridden farmers, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

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

- a) & (b): The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) under the Ministry of Home Affairs compiles and  disseminates information  on  suicides in  its  publication  titled  'Accidental  Deaths and Suicides in India' (ADSI). These Reports on suicides are available upto 2016 on its website.
2. (c) & (d): There  is  no  proposal  on  waiver  of  crop  loans  under  consideration  of  the Government of India.
3. (e): Agriculture  being  a  State  subject,  the  State  Governments  undertake  implementation  of programmes/ schemes for the development of the sector. Government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments through various schemes/ programmes. The various schemes/ programmes of  the  Government  of  India  are  meant  for  the  welfare  of  farmers  by  increasing production  and  remunerative  returns  to  farmers.  A  list  of  various  interventions  taken  by  the Government is at Annexure-I . All these steps of the Government of India are for the welfare of the farmers of the country.

The Government had constituted an Inter-Ministerial Committee in 2016 to recommend a strategy for Doubling of Farmers' Income (DFI) by the year 2022. The DFI Committee submitted its  report  and  thereafter  the  Government  constituted  an  Empowered  Body  on  23.01.2019  for monitoring the implementation of the recommendation of the DFI Strategy.

(f): The  Government  is  supporting  implementation  of  District  Mental  Health  Programme (DMHP) under the National Mental Health Programme (NMHP) in 655 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.

## Statement in respect of Part (e) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 336 due for 19.11.2019 regarding 'Farmer Suicides over Loans'

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 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)       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.

- (xi)        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.
- (xii) 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.
- (xiii) 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.
- (xiv) 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 installments 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.
- (xv) 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 3 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.

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