Lok Sabha Question No. 447 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-07-20
Subject: Aid to Farmers during COVID Crisis
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Vincent H Pala

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 447

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  JULY, 2021

## AID TO FARMERS DURING COVID CRISIS

447. SHRI VINCENT H. PALA

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

- (a) the  details  of  the  numbers  of  farmers  who  benefitted  from  the  Central  Government schemes during the COVID-19 crisis, State-wise; (b) the number of farmers left without any help from the Government as on date, State-wise; and
- (c) the system of calculation based for allotment of benefits to farmers by the Government?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ िष एवं कसान कयाण मंी (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a) Number  of  farmers benefitted under  major beneficiary oriented schemes  of  the Department of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare are given in the Annexure. (b)   Agriculture is a State subject. However, Government of India is implementing a number of Schemes,  both  Central  Sector  and  Centrally  Sponsored  for  the  benefit  of  farmers  and  the agriculture sector as a whole. Beneficiaries  are selected by State Governments and therefore,
- such details are maintained by them.

(c)   There is no uniform criterion adopted for selection of beneficiaries and this may differ from scheme to scheme. However, landholding is taken as the eligibility criterion for most schemes

- of the Department

## Annexure

1. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN): The scheme aims to supplement the financial needs of all landholding farmers. Under the Scheme an amount of Rs.6000/- per year is released (in three equal instalments of Rs. 2000/-  every  four  months)  by  the  Central  Government  online  directly  into  the bank accounts of the eligible farmers. During Covid period, Rs 84,600 crore was paid to 10.52 crore beneficiaries under the scheme. 2. Kisan  Credit  Card  (KCC): KCC  saturation drive was  initiated by Department  of  Agriculture  Cooperation  &  Farmers  Welfare  (DAC&FW)  in  mid February,  2020  in  collaboration  with  Department  of  Financial  Services  (DFS) with the goal to provide universal access to institutional concessional credit to all farmers  including  Animal  Husbandry,  Dairy  and  Fisheries  farmers  with  special focus on coverage of PM-KISAN beneficiaries. Under the 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan (ABA)' campaign government has set a target of issuing additional 2.5 crore KCCs by the end of year, as an important step in achieving this goal. This will ensure availability of cheap credit to farmers in the time of crisis and injection of nearly 2 lakh crore in rural economy. So far, Banks have issued KCC for 2.18 crore eligible farmers. 2.5 Cr farmers will be covered in due course. 3. Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maan Dhan Yojana (PM-KMY): It  is  a  voluntary and  contributory  pension  scheme  for  Small  and  marginal  farmers.  114721 farmers covered under the scheme during 2020-21. It  is  an  affordable  crop insurance scheme for farmers against all non preventable natural risks. During
4. Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY): 2020-21, 608.9 lakh farmer applications were insured under the scheme.

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