Published on: 28 Apr 2015 @ 1:47
The Centre today said that crops in 189 lakh hectare have been damaged due to the recent unseasonal rains and hailstorms in the country. The data is based on the reports received from the affected states of which Uttar Pradesh has reported crop losses in 95 lakh hectare. Replying to a marathon debate on the agrarian situation in the Rajya Sabha, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said that the Centre took immediate cognisance of the situation and decided to relax the compensation norms for crop damage.
He Informed the House that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reduced the eligibility norms for compensation for crop losses from 50 to 33 per cent. He said, the Centre also allowed the States to disburse 20 per cent of amount available with the State Disaster Relief Fund to the affected farmers.
The Minister said that the Central teams also visited the affected States to assess the damage to crops. Mr Singh also stressed on removing the inconsistencies from the present farm insurance schemes to help farmers. He also asked the States to write to the Centre if there allocations following recommendations of 14th finance commission has gone down as compared to 13th Commission.
He assured the members that he will try his best to keep allocations at the previous level. He said, the farmers condition will not improve unless irrigation facilities are taken to every farm. Dissatisfied with the Minister’s reply, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress staged a walkout.
Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Ghulam Nabi Azad took the absence of Food and Home Ministers as otherwise and staged a walkout with his party members. Mr Azad said, the Food and Home Minister should also have been in the House to reply to the procurement of foodgrains and suicide of a farmer during a rally in Delhi.