Par panel expresses concern over fall of farmers income in few states between 2015-16 and 2018-19
New Delhi Mar 24 PTI A parliamentary panel on Thursday said the Union Agriculture Ministry is far from ensuring doubling the income of farmers and pointed out that incomes have rather fallen in some states like Jharkhand Madhya Pradesh Nagaland and Odisha between 2015-16 and 2018-19 The committee has recommend the ministry to form a special team to figure out the reasons for falling farmers income in these states and take corrective steps The Standing Committee on Agriculture Animal Husbandry and Food Processing presented its report in Parliament on Thursday related to Demand of Grants for Ministry of Agriculture It is a fact that many departments organisations and ministries of Government of India are responsible for doubling of income of each and every farmers of this country within a fixed time frame the report said However the panel said that there is no denial that major task for doubling of income of farmers lies with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare It appears from the reply furnished by the department that the department is far from doubling the income of farmers rather in some states between 2015-16 and 2018-19 ie in four years like Jharkhand it has come down from Rs 7068 to Rs 4895 for Madhya Pradesh it has come down from Rs 9740 to Rs 8339 for Nagaland it has come down from Rs 11428 to Rs 9877 for Odisha it has come down from Rs 5274 to Rs 5112 the report said This has happened when monthly agricultural household income of the country has been increased from Rs 8059 to Rs 10218 as per Situation Assessment Survey carried out by the National Statistical Organization for all India the panel said and opined that the achievement was praise worthy However the panel questioned why in some states monthly household income declined between 2015-16 and 2018-19 when the lot of farmers perhaps remained the same or increased elsewhere and whether the Department of Agriculture remained a mute spectator The committee therefore recommend that the department should formulate a special team to figure out the reasons for falling farmers income in those states and take some course corrective measures so that the doubling of farmers income is not lost sight of the report said Citing the reply of the department the panel said that it was found that funds have been surrendered amounting to Rs 3451770 crore Rs 2382454 crore and Rs 958686 crore during 2019-20 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively That means Rs 6792910 crore have been surrendered by the department in these years without spending The panel said that the surrender of funds is not at all a healthy practice which it said was mainly on account of less requirement under NES North Eastern States SCSP Schedule Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Area Sub-Plan TASP components The committee express displeasure over surrender of funds The committee therefore recommend the department to identify reasons avoidable for surrender of funds and take corrective measures to ensure that the funds are utilised fully properly and efficiently the report said On Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna PMFBY the panel said that the department should review the implementation of the scheme at regular intervals to assess the demand situation and funds requirement The committee also asked the department to look into the reasons for non-implementation of the scheme by certain states and take necessary measures and attempt to address them in the best possible manner It also asked the department to ensure that the scheme is made more attractive and beneficial to the farmers especially in those states that are prone to natural calamities so that farmers in all parts of the country have the opportunity to get benefits of the PMFBY scheme PTI MJH HVA HVA
New Delhi Mar 24 PTI A parliamentary panel on Thursday said the Union Agriculture Ministry is far from ensuring doubling the income of farmers and pointed out that incomes have rather fallen in some states like Jharkhand Madhya Pradesh Nagaland and Odisha between 2015-16 and 2018-19 The committee has recommend the ministry to form a special team to figure out the reasons for falling farmers income in these states and take corrective steps The Standing Committee on Agriculture Animal Husbandry and Food Processing presented its report in Parliament on Thursday related to Demand of Grants for Ministry of Agriculture It is a fact that many departments organisations and ministries of Government of India are responsible for doubling of income of each and every farmers of this country within a fixed time frame the report said However the panel said that there is no denial that major task for doubling of income of farmers lies with the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare It appears from the reply furnished by the department that the department is far from doubling the income of farmers rather in some states between 2015-16 and 2018-19 ie in four years like Jharkhand it has come down from Rs 7068 to Rs 4895 for Madhya Pradesh it has come down from Rs 9740 to Rs 8339 for Nagaland it has come down from Rs 11428 to Rs 9877 for Odisha it has come down from Rs 5274 to Rs 5112 the report said This has happened when monthly agricultural household income of the country has been increased from Rs 8059 to Rs 10218 as per Situation Assessment Survey carried out by the National Statistical Organization for all India the panel said and opined that the achievement was praise worthy However the panel questioned why in some states monthly household income declined between 2015-16 and 2018-19 when the lot of farmers perhaps remained the same or increased elsewhere and whether the Department of Agriculture remained a mute spectator The committee therefore recommend that the department should formulate a special team to figure out the reasons for falling farmers income in those states and take some course corrective measures so that the doubling of farmers income is not lost sight of the report said Citing the reply of the department the panel said that it was found that funds have been surrendered amounting to Rs 3451770 crore Rs 2382454 crore and Rs 958686 crore during 2019-20 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively That means Rs 6792910 crore have been surrendered by the department in these years without spending The panel said that the surrender of funds is not at all a healthy practice which it said was mainly on account of less requirement under NES North Eastern States SCSP Schedule Caste Sub-Plan and Tribal Area Sub-Plan TASP components The committee express displeasure over surrender of funds The committee therefore recommend the department to identify reasons avoidable for surrender of funds and take corrective measures to ensure that the funds are utilised fully properly and efficiently the report said On Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna PMFBY the panel said that the department should review the implementation of the scheme at regular intervals to assess the demand situation and funds requirement The committee also asked the department to look into the reasons for non-implementation of the scheme by certain states and take necessary measures and attempt to address them in the best possible manner It also asked the department to ensure that the scheme is made more attractive and beneficial to the farmers especially in those states that are prone to natural calamities so that farmers in all parts of the country have the opportunity to get benefits of the PMFBY scheme PTI MJH HVA HVA
