The Opposition on Thursday expressed concern over the worsening plight of farmers due to crop failure, and interest rates and charged the Government with adopting an “insensitive” approach to agrarian crisis. Brushing aside the allegation, the government said a new agriculture insurance scheme will be brought in the current financial year and asked the states to work in tandem with the Centre to improve the lot of farmers.
Replying to a debate on the ‘Prevailing Agrarian Crisis in the Country,’ Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said the Government will bring new guidelines for the proposed insurance scheme and clarified that revised guidelines in this regard by the previous government will not be implemented.
As regards issue of farmers' suicide raised by several Elders during the debate, the minister said as per figures by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) for 2013, as many as 1.34 lakh people had committed suicide across the country of which only 11,772 were from farming background. “However, information received from states say that out of 11,772 suicides only 511 were attributed only to farm crisis,” he said, adding a majority of those hailed from Maharashtra.
The Minister stated that the Government had earmarked a sum of `8 lakh crore for farm loans during the current year and earmarked another `1,000 crore for providing irrigation to every village.