As per preliminary assessment, about Rs15,000 crore has been made available to farmers as relief and assistance under various schemes during the last two years. The relief was given for natural calamities, crop insurance compensation and bonus on procurement of wheat and paddy on support price, subsidy on loans at zero per cent interest rate, power subsidy and subsidy on agriculture implements. In most cases, the assistance amounts were deposited in the farmers' bank accounts.
During 2012-13, 2013-14 and the early months of 2014-15, assistance worth Rs32136.6 crore was provided to farmers and others against losses to crops due to frost and floods and rains. As many as 18,54,858 natural calamity-affected farmers were provided crop insurance amount worth over Rs2579 crore during 2012 and 2013. Of this, over Rs75 crore was distributed to 74,000 affected farmers in Rabi 2012, about Rs317,81,63,000 to over 3 lakh farmers in Kharif 2012 and Rs2187.45 crore was provided to more than 14 lakh farmers in Kharif 2013.
Besides, distribution of Rs437 crore crop insurance amounts is underway to farmers affected in Rabi 2013. In addition, the farmers were given bonus worth Rs856.75 crore on procurement of wheat and paddy on support price during year 2012-13. Of this, bonus worth Rs850 crore was given on wheat in 2012 and Rs6.75 crore on paddy. Bonus worth about Rs1,328 crore was given to about 13 lakh farmers on procurement of paddy, maize and wheat in year 2013. Of this, about Rs23 crore bonuses was given on paddy, about Rs13 crore on maize and over Rs1080 crore on wheat.
Subsidy worth about Rs 800 was provided to about 8 lakh farmers on farm implements during last 2 years. Power subsidy worth about Rs4,684 crore was given during the last two years to relieve farmers from the burden of enhanced power tariff and supply of free power to weaker sections. Of this, 1968 crore was given as tariff subsidy and Rs 466 crore for supply of free power during 2012-13. During year 2013-14, a sum of Rs1700 crore was given as tariff subsidy and Rs550 crore for supply of free power.
In the State, loans are being provided to farmers at zero per cent interest rate for agriculture works. About Rs404 crore was given to 27,18,000 farmers during 2012-13 and Rs494 crore to about 28 lakh farmers in 2013-14. Besides, over Rs727 crore short-term loans of over 2,26,000 farmers have been converted to medium term during the last two years. Of these, over Rs31 crore short-term loans of 13,348 farmers were converted to medium-term during Rabi 2012-13, Rs491 crore loans in Kharif 2013 and Rs205 crore short-term loans of over 67,000 farmers were converted to medium-term during Rabi 2013-14.
On this farmer-friendly important exercise, the State Government pays 11 per cent interest subsidy to cooperative banks. It is noteworthy that for obtaining re-finance for conversion of loans from short-term to long term, the State Government gives Government guarantee to NABARD and also 15 per cent share from its own pocket.