Rs 38,000 cr plans cleared by Cabinet aimed at farmers, minorities

The Union Cabinet approved on Wednesday a host of schemes worth Rs 38,000 crore for farmers and minorities — two communities whose sections have been seen not happy with the ruling BJP. They also form two key constituencies that are of great significant ahead of next year’s general elections.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government cleared an umbrella scheme, “Green Revolution — Krishonnati Yojana”, with a Central share of Rs 33,269.976 crore, besides announcing special assistance to sugarcane farmers. The Centre also renamed and restructured a Multi-sectoral Development Programme for minorities for better implementation at the cost of Rs 3,972 crore.

However, Congress was not impressed by the announcements and said farmers have suffered blows under the Modi government. While the worth of agriculture exports has dipped by $10 billion, imports have gone up by $19 billion since 2014, when Modi came to power, said Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala. He also referred to a Reserve Bank of India (RBI) paper on a sharp fall in rural wages and food prices.

In March, the PM had promised to ensure that the minimum support price of farm goods is fixed at 1.5 times the input cost.

It was based on the comprehensive cost of production including land rentals and unpaid-for labour by family members of a farmer.

It seeks to sooth groups of farmers protesting mainly in BJP-ruled states such as Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, amid a continuing agrarian distress caused by slugging growth.

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The government said on Wednesday that some 11 schemes and missions related to agriculture were merged for better coordination and implementation to increase the income of farmers by enhancing production, productivity and better returns on produce.

It will incorporate Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), National Food Security Mission (NFSM), including National Mission on Oil Seeds and Oil Palm (NMOOP), with a total central share of Rs.6893.38 crore.

It aims to increase production of rice, wheat, pulses, coarse cereals and commercial crops through area expansion and productivity enhancement.

Other schemes merged include National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA), Submission on Agriculture Extension (SMAE), Sub-Mission on Seeds and Planting Material (SMSP), Sub-Mission on Agricultural Mechanisation (SMAM), Sub-Mission on Plant Protection and Plan Quarantine (SMPPQ), Integrated Scheme on Agriculture Census, Economics and Statistics (ISACES), Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Cooperation (ISAC) , Integrated Scheme on Agricultural Marketing (ISAM) and National e-Governance Plan (NeGP-A).

The Cabinet also approved financial assistance of Rs 5.50 per quintal of cane crushed in a sugar season to mills to offset the cost of cane, in order to help mills to clear dues of farmers.

The assistance will be paid directly to farmers on behalf of mills. Due to higher sugar production against the estimated consumption during the current season, domestic prices have remained depressed leading to a crash in prices and adversely affecting mills, leading to accumulation of dues of farmers that have reached more than Rs 19,000 crore.

The Cabinet also approved a proposal for renaming and restructuring of Multi-sectoral Development Programme (MsDP) as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK) to provide better socio-economic infrastructure facilities to the minority communities.

The criteria for identification of Minority Concentration Towns and Clusters of Villages have been rationalised by lowering the population percentage criteria of Minority Communities from 50% to 25%. Out of Rs. 3,972 crore allocated, 80% funds will be utilised for education, health and skill development.

Source: DNA India