Members of the Lok Sabha today expressed concern over drought situation in the country with opposition demanding waiver of bank loan and electricity bill for farmers as part of relief measure.
Initiating debate over the issue of drought in the House, Jyotiraditya Scindia (Cong) said farmers across the country are facing tough situation...The bank loan and electricity bills of the farmers should be waived off."
"If you want to learn how to waive off debt, you should learn from our leader Sonia Gandhi," the Congress chief whip said, apparently referring to the 2008 decision of the Congress-led UPA government to give Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief worth Rs 70,000 crore.
About 50 per cent of the country has been hit by drought, Scindia said, adding, it has affected 18 states.
This is the second consecutive year when the country received deficient monsoon, he added.
Expressing dismay over the government's policies, Scindia said high prices of food items including pulses coupled with low yield due to drought have broken the back of the farmers.
Targeting the government, the Congress leader said it is maintaining silence over the sufferings of farmers like it did over the issue of "intolerance".
Countering this, Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh said "we are not sleeping. We are at work."
To this, Scindia said "there is a saying in English 'there is many a slip between the cup and the lip'."
"This government has made several announcements but implementation is zero," he said, adding time is elapsing and farmers are running out of patience and are forced to commit suicide.
He claimed that about 11,700 farmers have committed suicide during the NDA rule.
Highlighting the importance of the rural economy, he said India could withstand global financial crisis of 2008 because of strong domestic demand coming from hinterland.
The country cannot achieve double digit growth which this government is talking without improving the farm output to 4 per cent, he said.
The last government passed on 4.7 per cent agriculture growth rate which has now come down to 1.1 per cent under the present regime, the Congress leader said.
BJP's Janardan Mishra said there is no need to politicise the plight of farmers affected by drought. He suggested that the government should call a meeting state governments and make assessment of the drought situation.
There is also need to spread awareness about various government scheme related to farmers so that they take benefit of those scheme in the time of distress.
To address the problems faced by farmers, TMC leader
Sudip Bandyopadhyay said the central government should waive off bank loans extended to farmers and also come out with other positive announcements.
"The government should rise to the occasion with a transparent outlook... And positive foresightedness," he said, adding that time has come for giving hope to the affected people and states.
He wondered what was the methodology followed in deciding the amount of funds to be released to states by the central government after a natural calamity or drought.
After the visit of a central team to an affected area, the amount is fixed which is "far from reality and truth", he said. "What is the actual process?," he wondered.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is supposed to discuss the situation of farmers, among other issues, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the TMC leader said.
Noting that no special package has been announced for West Bengal, Bandyopadhyay said the state is facing a huge financial crisis.
The Centre should be intervene and the waiver of bank loans extended to farmers should be taken on priority, he added.
Urging the Centre to take steps, BJD's B Mahtab said over 50 per cent of the districts are affected by drought and the situation is serious.
"There is a agrarian crisis... There is great problem because of drought. Drought is like a slow poison," he noted.
Calling for an effective programme to mitigate risks faced by farmers, Mahtab said crop insurance should be the first line of defence.
The central government should support drought-affected farmers, he added.
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Taking a swipe at the Centre over the amount of relief funds released to states during times of calamities, Mahtab said a decision on funds depends on the Finance Ministry.
After visiting the affected areas, the central team comes to the state capital concerned and there they talk truth. But when they are back in Delhi, things are different, he said.
Everything related to drought should not be left to the Agriculture Ministry only as it has only "little say" in terms of funds to be released, the BJD member said.
During discussion on drought, there should also be representation from Finance and Home Ministries so that they can take note of the suggestions made in the House, he added.
M B Rajesh (CPI-M) claimed farmers are not getting adequate compensation for crop failures while consumers are forced to pay more than five times the minimum support price for pulses.
He alleged that "the government and its corporate friends are loving a good drought... The corporate friends are making good profit".
Further, Rajesh alleged that corporates are reaping "handsome returns" on the investments made by them during elections.
Asking the government to put in place correct policies and reverse the wrong ones, he said farmers should be immediately provided with support.
According to him, agriculture sector is being affected by shortfall in monsoon and weak prices while the distress is being seen in rising number of farmer suicides.
Rajesh took a dig at Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh saying that despite being a nice person, his "wrong ideology and policy" had forced him to claim that "failure of love affairs" was a reason for farmer suicides.
"Farmers' suicides are not on account of love failures but failure in their lives," Rajesh emphasised.
Noting that farmers are facing a grim situation, Rajesh said it could push the country's agriculture growth into the negative territory.
