The Kisan Congress in a letter to the Union Home Minister has demanded amendment in the norms for providing assistance from State Disaster Response Funds (SDRF) and National Disaster Relief Funds.
Odisha Pradesh Kisan Congress chairman Amiya Pattanaik stated that the agriculture input subsidy given to the affected farmers during natural calamities is not sufficient to compensate their crop loss. Due to this the affected farmers are able to repay their loans to the cooperative societies, nationalised banks and private banks. This is bringing misery for the farmers and they are committing suicide, he stated.
As per the existing norms of SDRF and NDRF, farmers are eligible to get agriculture input subsidy of Rs 6,800 per hectare for rain fed areas and Rs 13,500 per hectare for assured irrigation, which is quite low compared to the loss incurred by the farmers, said Pattanaik.
In view of aforesaid circumstances the Kisan Congress demands the agriculture input subsidy to be doubled for rain fed areas and areas under assured irrigation. The minimum assistance should be fixed at Rs 4,000 for rain fed areas and Rs 6,000 for irrigated areas as soon as possible.