A parliamentary standing committee has requested the Ministry of Agriculture to represent a particular workforce to “figure out the reasons” for falling farmers’ earnings throughout a number of states and take “course corrective” measures in order that the goal of doubling the earnings just isn’t missed.
The Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, headed by BJP member PC Gadigoudar, has made this advice in its report tabled in Lok Sabha Thursday.
The committee has additionally expressed displeasure over the give up of funds — Rs 67929.10 crore — by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare (DAF&W) over the last three years.
Observing that the main process for doubling farmers’ earnings lies with the DAF&W, the committee mentioned, “It appears from the reply furnished by the department that the department is far from doubling the income of farmers” and 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; in Madhya Pradesh, from Rs 9740 to Rs 8339; in Nagaland, from Rs 11428 to Rs 9877; in Odisha, down from Rs 5274 to Rs 5112.
“This has happened when monthly agricultural household income of the country has been increased from Rs 8059 to Rs 10218, that in the opinion of the Committee is a praiseworthy and timely intervention by the Government to double the farmers’ income,” the committee acknowledged in its report.
Taking observe of the Situation Assessment Survey carried out by the National Statistical Organization, it mentioned the “question remains to be answered” thay “why in some states, monthly household income is declining between 2015-16 and 2018-19, when the lot of farmers perhaps remains the same or increasing elsewhere and whether the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare remains a mute spectator”.
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The committee beneficial that the division type a particular workforce 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”.
It additionally highlighted the big quantity of funds surrendered by the division lately and requested it to determine causes liable for this.
The committee famous “from the reply of the Department that funds have been surrendered amounting to Rs 34517.70 crore, Rs 23824.54 crore and Rs 9586.86 crore during 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22 respectively. “That means Rs 67929.10 crore have been surrendered by the Department in these years without spending,” it mentioned.
The committee mentioned it’s “of the opinion that the surrender of funds” is “not at all a healthy practice” and “was primarily on account of much less requirement underneath NES (North Eastern States), SCSP (Schedule Caste Sub-Plan) and Tribal Area Sub-Plan (TASP) Components”.
Expressing “displeasure over surrender of funds”, the committee beneficial that the division “identify reasons” for “avoidable surrender of funds and take corrective measures to ensure that the funds are utilized fully, properly and efficiently”.
It additionally requested the division to look into the explanations for non-implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) by sure states. It requested the division to take vital measures, deal with them in the absolute best method, and be certain that the scheme is made “more attractive and beneficial” for farmers, particularly in these states that are susceptible to pure calamities.
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With inputs from TheIndianEXPRESS
