To
provide immediate relief to the farmers, in view of the deficit monsoon during
kharif 2015, the Government of India has taken a number of decisions. Orders
on these measures have already been issued to all State Governments, which will
implement them on the basis of assessed need.
1.
Allocation of additional days of work under MGNREGA
to households in drought affected areas: The
Government has decided to provide an additional 50 days of unskilled manual
work in the financial year over and above the 100 days assured to
job card holders in such rural areas where drought or natural calamities has
been notified. This will enable States to provide additional wage employment to
rural poor in drought affected areas. The poorest rural households will benefit
from this, as it will help in immediate absorption of rural seasonal
unemployment, and reduce rural distress.
2.
Diesel Subsidy Scheme for farmers in affected
areas : It has been decided to provide diesel subsidy
to the farmers to enable them to provide life saving irrigation through diesel
pump sets in the drought and deficit rainfall areas to protect the standing
crops (allocation of Rs.100 cr). The farmers in the affected
regions will be covered during the current South-West monsoon period till 30th
September, 2015. The scheme on Diesel Subsidy will be implemented with the
participation of the State Governments/UT Administration, with a view to offset
the cost of diesel used for pumping water for providing supplementary
irrigation/protective irrigation. The scheme will be applicable to such
districts/talukas/areas where the rainfall deficit is more than 50% as on 15th
July, 2015, (as reported by India Meteorological Department); to such
districts/talukas/areas, which have been declared as drought affected area by
the respective State Govt./ UT Administration; areas with prolonged dry spell
continuously for 15 days, i.e. scanty rainfall (deficit of 60% or more of
normal) for any continuous 15 days period, after the onset date of Monsoon as
per reports of IMD. It is proposed to provide 50% subsidy on the cost of diesel
(Rs 2000 per hectare) to the affected farmers, limited to a maximum of two hectares
per farmer. The cost of assistance provided shall be shared between the
Government of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on
50:50 basis.
3.
Enhancement of ceiling on Seed subsidy.
In order to compensate the farmers in the drought affected districts for the
additional expenditure incurred in the sowing and /or purchasing appropriate
varieties of drought resistant seeds it has been decided to raise the extant
ceiling on seed subsidy by 50% over existing levels for distribution in
drought notified districts. The enhancement is valid till 31.12.2015.
4.
Interventions for saving perennial horticulture
crops: Appropriate input support measures will be
provided to rejuvenate water stressed horticulture crops, with an additional
allocation of Rs.150 crore. The scheme is to be
implemented in all drought affected districts / blocks in the country which are
covered under Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), being
implemented by Dept. of Agriculture, Cooperation& Farmers Welfare. Farmers
in the drought affected districts/ blocks will be provided assistance @ Rs.6000/-
per hectare as per cost norms for a maximum area of two ha per beneficiary for
taking up appropriate combination of interventions. Assistance so provided through
subsidy shall be shared between the Government of India and the State
Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.
5.
Implementation of additional fodder development
programme: Assistance will be provided for additional
interventions for production of fodder for mitigating adverse impact of drought
on livestock (allocation of Rs.50 crore) .
Farmers in the drought affected districts/ blocks will be provided assistance @
Rs.3200/- per hectare as per cost norms for a maximum area of two ha per beneficiary
for taking up additional production of fodder in these districts/blocks.
Assistance so provided through subsidy shall be shared between the Government
of India and the State Government/UT Administration concerned on 50:50 basis.
6.
Flexible allocation under RKVY and other
centrally sponsored schemes: States
have been advised to keep aside about 5 to 10% of fund allocated under
Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for undertaking appropriate interventions,
if the situation so warrants, to minimize the advance impact of an aberrant
monsoon on the agriculture sector. 10% of the allocation under Centrally
Sponsored Scheme may be utilized in flexible manner by the States to meet
contingent requirement arising out of deficient rains.
7.
Crop contingency plan :
Ministry of Agriculture, through ICAR-Central
Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad has prepared
detailed crop Contingency Plans for 600 districts. States have been advised to
prepare/ update/ fine-tune Contingency Plans for each district in consultation
with CRIDA-ICAR and the State Agriculture Universities and to prepare location
specific remedial measures based on these contingency plans in the event of
late arrival of Monsoon/long dry spells/scanty rainfall/drought conditions e.g.
tying up availability of seeds and other inputs for implementing the
Contingency Plans. As seen from the experience of last year, these are highly
useful in case of a deviant monsoon. These plans are available at the website
of Dept. of Agriculture & Cooperation, Min. of Agriculture as well as
Central Institute for Dryland Agriculture (CRIDA), Hyderabad.
8.
Advisories to the states:
State Governments have already been advised to
initiate advance remedial action e.g. constructing water harvesting structures
under MGNREGA and other such schemes, promoting agronomic practices for
moisture conservation, promoting cultivation of less water consuming crops and
restoring irrigation infrastructure by desilting canals, energizing tube-wells,
replacing/repairing faulty pumps. States have also been requested to carry out
periodic assessment of preparation for kharif crops, particularly contingency
crops and also investment made in water conservation structure under various
schemes like Integrated Watershed Management Programme(IWWP) to verify their
utility in harvesting the rainfall.
9.
Availability of seeds and other inputs for
kharif, 2015 : Availability
of seeds and other inputs is being monitored / reviewed on a continuous basis
in the weekly Crop Weather Watch Group (CWWG) Meetings being held in the
Department of Agriculture. Weekly video conference with States is also being
held to get first-hand information about State’s preparedness and to advise
States appropriately whenever needed.
10.
SMS Advisory: The
Ministry, through the m-kisan portal sends SMS advisories to
registered farmers. These advisories include weather based SMS advisories,
advisories to suggest measures to minimize adverse impact of extreme weather
event. Ministry through various operators sent about 700 crores SMS in last one
year. These SMS are sent by ICAR/SAU, KVK, AMFU etc and district level state
govt officials.
11.
Crisis management plan for drought for the year
2015: A Crisis Management Plan
(CMP) for Drought has been in place and is available at the website of Dept. of
Agriculture & Cooperation, Min. of Agriculture. The plan has also been
updated recently in consultation with Stakeholder Ministries/Departments.
Agriculture Minister has also requested all Chief Ministers, vide his letter
dated 12.05.2015, to direct the officers concerned to expedite preparation of
State level Management Plans on Drought.
12.
SDRF/NDRF funds - First Instalment of SDRF
released : The
State Government is primarily responsible for providing necessary relief in
the wake of natural calamities. Government of India supplements the efforts of
state Governments with financial assistance. For undertaking relief measures, funds
are available with the State Governments in the form of State Disaster Response
Fund (SDRF). Additional financial assistance, over and above SDRF, is
considered from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) for natural calamities of
severe nature and is approved on the basis of Memorandum received from State
Government in accordance with established procedure, keeping in view items and
norms in vogue for assistance. The 1st
instalment of SDRF has already been released to State Governments.The SDRF
funds, besides others, can also be used for emergency supply of drinking water
in rural and urban areas, as per the approved guidelines.
SS