Prime Minister call for resolve to double farmers income by year 2022
Bhopal. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has said that Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Scheme is panacea for all the problems of farmers. He said that efforts would be made to double the income of farmers by year 2022 through farmer-friendly policies coupled with toiled of farmers. Shri Modi was launching the Pradhan Mantri Crop Insurance Schemes at Kisan Maha Sammelan at Sherpur, about 38 km from Bhopal today. He released a guideline booklet of the scheme on the occasion.
While addressing lakhs of farmers at the Maha Sammelan Prime Minister called upon them to link with the new crop insurance scheme. This is the largest ever scheme of its kind formulated in the country in favour of farmers, he said adding that with this innovative crop insurance scheme in place natural calamities would not scare the farmers.
All Praise for Madhya Pradesh
The Prime Minister said that the farmers of Madhya Pradesh supported by the state government have created history in farm sector by their toil and sagacity enabling the state to make it to the top in the country. Receiving the Krishi Karman Award for four years in a row is a creditable achievement. He said that Madhya Pradesh has contributed significantly to brightening agriculture scenario of the country. Despite paucity of rain for last two years the farmer did not allow farm production to fall. He attributed it to the hard work of farmers.
The Prime Minister said that launching of the crop insurance scheme from Madhya Pradesh is appropriate given the excellent achievements of the state in agriculture. He said that farmers had many apprehensions about existing crop insurance schemes. We have formulated the new scheme that seeks to solve all their problems. Under this only 1.5 percent premium would be paid for rabi and 2 percent for kharif by the farmers whereas under existing schemes they were required to pay 12-14 percent premium. The new crop insurance scheme has no cap on payment of compensation. Moreover, in case of loss to crop of even a single farmer in a village, he would get the benefit of insurance scheme. In the previous schemes insurance was done only after sowing. The new scheme provides that in the absence of rains if farmers fail to do sowing they would also be compensated. Insurance amount would be payable for harvested crops also in the field. There were delays in sanction of insurance amount in previous schemes. Under the new scheme 25 percent of the amount would be paid immediately and the remaining amount would be paid in minimum possible time. Now farmers would be paid compensation on loss of one third of crops,too. Earlier, it was time given only on loss of over 50 percent crop. The compensation has been raised three times, he added.
National Agricultural Market Launched by 14 April
The Prime Minister said that improving the lot of farmers and transforming villages is on top of his priorities. Efforts would be made to bring farmers on a better footing through fusion of traditional farming practices and modern technology. In the time to come, a National Agricultural Marketing Platform would be developed to ensre benefit of Digital India to farmers. Under this 550 mandis would be integrated with its network. The National Agriculture Market would be launched on Baba Saheb Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14.
Alive to the problems of sugarcane growers
The central government is alive to the problems of sugarcane growers and their arrears have been paid. In the interest of sugarcane growers it has been decided to make ethanol from sugarcane and mix 10 percent of it with petrol. This would greatly benefit the environment and the farmers. He called upon the youths to derive benefit of Start Up India and Stand Up India in farm sector, too. He said that India is capable of meeting world’s requirement of organic products.
Shri Modi said that the target is to obtain maximum yield with minimum water under Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana. The agriculture revolution of Madhya Pradesh is attributable to augmentation of irrigation facility, he said. The Prime Minister was all praise for Madhya Pradesh for this and stressed the need to replicate it in the country. He called for water conservation and encouraging drip irrigation. Shri Modi said that the central government has effectively curbed the black-marketing of fertilizers that facilitated easy availability of the same to farmers. Neem coating of Urea has also yielded very encouraging results. He exhorted the farmer to get Soil Health Cards and grow suitable crops accordingly.
The Prime Minsiter complimented Budhni block of Sehore district and Indore district on becoming open defecation free. He asked people to resolve to rid villages of this evil. He said that the world is looking at India to meet its food grain requirement. For this work has to be done with proper planning, he said.
Shri Modi is Most Farmers Friendly Prime Minister – C.M. Shri Chouhan
Describing the Prime Minsiter Shri Modi as the most farmers friendly Prime Minister Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said that he has enhanced country’s prestige and respect in the world. The farmers have worked hard with exemplary fortitude defying all odds. The calamity affected farmers have been given relief to the tune of Rs. 4800 crore in the sate. The central government has greatly helped the farmers by providing assistance of Rs. 2000 crore. Crop insurance amount of Rs. 4300 crore is being credited to the bank accounts of farmers. They are getting more relief than crop loss.
He said that the irrigation facility has been increased from 5.5 lakh hectare to 36 lakh hectare in the state. The tributaries of Narmada are being interlinked to irrigate fields. There is a target to bring 60 lakh hectares under irrigation in the state, he said.
Shri Chouhan described Shri Modi as a leader with grand vision Shri Chouhan said that due to his strict monitoring there was no shortage of fertilizers in the state. Neem coated Urea has proved very beneficial. He expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for integrating mandis with electronic platform. Enumerating the benefits of new crop insurance scheme the Chief Minister said that previous insurance policies were not farmers-friendly. Earlier, farm loan was given on 18 percent interest and now interest free loan is being given in the state. The state government has paid Rs. 900 crore interest and Rs. 300 crore electricity bill from its own exchequer. He said that separate vegetable and fruit routes are being chalked out in the state. An APIDA like institution would be set up for export of horticulture crops and 85 percent grant will be given on solar pump sets.
