The Centre today informed Parliament that the proposals are under consideration to provide drought relief to 52 districts of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan during Kharif 2017.
Already, inter-ministerial central teams have visited these states to assess the drought situation and ascertain financial assistance to be released from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF), it said.
"The proposals received from these states for assistance from NDRF are under consideration," Minister of State for Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
Chhattisgarh has declared drought in 21 districts, Madhya Pradesh in 18 districts and Rajasthan in 13 districts, he said, adding that these states have submitted a memorandum seeking financial help from NDRF.
The government has also received a memorandum from Maharasthra government seeking financial help in the wake of pest attack on paddy and cotton crops during Kharif 2017, the minister said in a separate reply.
Even Odisha government has intimated that it has declared drought in 15 districts and is using funds from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) towards agri-input subsidy to affected farmers as per the existing norms, he said.
The state governments have ready availability of funds under SDRF for taking immediate measures in the wake of all notified natural calamities, including drought.
The primary responsibility for disaster management rests with the states, he added.
Under the NDRF, assistance is admissible for natural calamities of severe nature only. Assistance to farmers is given in the form of agriculture/horticulture input subsidy (where crop loss is 33 per cent and above) for damage caused to cropped area due to the notified calamities only.
The assistance under SDRF and NDRF is provided in the form of input subsidy for total crop area damaged and not crop-wise.
A subsidy of Rs 6,800 per hectare is given for rainfed crop areas and Rs 13,500 per hectare for assured irrigated areas subject to minimum assistance not less than Rs 1,000 per hectare and restricted to sown areas.
Whereas Rs 18,000 per hectare assistance is given for all types of perennial crop areas, subject to minimum assistance not less than Rs 2,000 per hectare and restricted to sown areas, where crop loss is more than 33 per cent and more.
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