Union Minister of State for Agriculture Mohanbhai Kundaria on Thursday claimed that the NDA Government at the Centre has sanctioned the highest-ever drought assistance to Odisha compared to previous Central Governments.
“The State Government had submitted a memorandum seeking about Rs2,200 crore for drought assistance, and the Centre has sanctioned Rs815 crore. Compared to the previous UPA Government which had sanctioned nor more than 5 per cent of calamity assistance to Odisha, the present BJP-led Government has sanctioned about 35 per cent assistance to the State,” he said at a Press conference here.
Stating that the Centre has formulated a series of productive schemes for farmers, Kundaria said the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana is an inspirational scheme for farmers.
The new scheme would help ease the burden of premiums on farmers who take loans for cultivation. The new crop insurance scheme would have a rebated premium rate on the principal sum insured.
The new insurance scheme would be implemented with a budget allocation of Rs17,600 crore throughout the country from the next Kharif season of crop harvesting in June while the insurance burden would be collectively taken by the Centre and the State Governments, the Union Minister said.
He said the Centre has also launched the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana with an outlay of Rs50,000 crore for a period of five years (2015-16 to 2019-20) to achieve convergence of investments in irrigation at the field level.
Kundaria further said that though this Yojana has included eight districts of Odisha, the State Government is yet to submit a status report on its implementation.
Senior party leaders of Odisha, including State present Basant Panda, were present at the Press conference.