Post News Network
Bhubaneswar: The Modi government has sanctioned the highest-ever drought aid to Orissa, Union minister of state for agriculture Mohan Kundariya said Thursday, countering the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government’s claim of central negligence.
“The Orissa government had submitted a memorandum to us seeking around Rs 2,200 crore and we have sanctioned Rs 815 crore. During the UPA regime, the state was not getting even 5 per cent of the demand, while the NDA government sanctioned about 35 per cent of the total demand,” the Union minister said at a press conference in the city.
Kundariya emphasised on the recently launched Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojna (PMFBY) and said all farmers, including those who cultivate others’ land, would benefit from the central scheme.
“Farmers are committing suicide in our country because of crop loss. To resolve the problem, we have launched the PMFBY through which the all types of crops will be insured,” he said. Under the scheme, the Centre would pay a major portion of the premium while a small amount would be paid by the state governments.
A farmer has to pay only 2 per cent for kharif and 1.5 per cent of the insured amount for the Rabi crop as premium against 7 per cent to 25 per cent earlier, he said.
“About 25 per cent of the claim amount for the crop loss because of floods, cyclones and drought will be deposited directly in the account of the farmers soon after the claim is received. The remaining 75 per cent will be transferred within three to four days. Earlier, the farmers had to wait for more than a year to get the compensation,” the minister claimed.
Asked about benefits of welfare schemes launched by the Union government not reaching farmers because of lack of land leasing law in the state, Kundariya said the Centre would reach the farmers through cooperative societies.