Govt working on agriculture crop income insurance: Venkaiah Naidu

Recommendations of Swaminathan Commission would be implemented when economy improves

The central government is working on for introduction of an agriculture crop income insurance, for the benefit of the farmers, said Union Minister of Urban Development, Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation and Parliamentary Affairs, M Venkaiah Naidu.

Delivering inaugural address in one of the sessions of International Conference on Science, Technology and Public Policy to achieve Zero Hunger Challenge, organised by M S Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, he said, "The government is seriously working on providing income insurance to the farmers, which is also the need of the hour."

He added that this would help the farmers at from various issues including those related to the monsoon, lack of storage, lack of assured power and also restriction of free trade between the States. Unless Centre and States join toether in the scheme, it is not easy to implement because the resources required is vast and the sector is a challenging one, he added.

The centre was going to ive Rs 8.5 lakh crore and also lookin at reducing the interest rates further, in order to promote the agriculture to improve the food security, he said. "I had asked the Finance Minister to reduce the rates, he says unless the economic situation improves and growth rate increases it has to be looked at," he said.

On solving loan related problems in aricultural sector, the Government of India wants to reverse the trend of farmers availing loans from private money lenders to financial institutions. A World Bank study says only 45 pr cent of the farmers are getting loans from institutions, while the rest are getting loans from private money lenders and the government wants to reverse that to financial institutions. The Banks should also look at lending to the farmers

"Central government wants to be liberal in the export of agricultural produces whenever farmers get remunerative price, you can keep a buffer of 25 per cent food grains over and above requirements and allow remaining to be exported whenever farmers get a remunerative price and that should be allowed. This is a structural change to be addressed," he added.

In what could be a dig on the practice of political parties in Tamil Nadu in the recent elections, he said that it is time for the political parties to move away from offering free mixie, grinder and television sets. He added that the governments should look at providing long term benefits, such as infrastructure, rather than these freebies. The international funding agencies such as World Bank and ADB should also be looking at these long term projects.

He added that the government is committed to make agriculture viable with the recommendations of Swaminathan Commission, which were submitted in 2006, as basis. As and when the economy improves, all the recommendations made by the commission would be taken up on priority. Some are already receiving attention, such as Schemes like Pradhana Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, more crop per drop, Rs 8.5 core credit to agriculture and soil health cards, have been taken up, he added.

However, the number of malnourished in the country has been come down only by 15 million from 1990, which is a concern, he said. He added that the reduction of the number of under and malnourished in our country is on a near stalemate and there is also a stalemate in the Parliament, referring to the opposition party's protest in the Parliament.

Congress blocking nation's growth

Blaming the Congress party for the stalemate in the Parliament's ongoing Monsoon Session, Naidu said that Congress is blocking the progress of the nation, especially in the matter related to passing some of the important bills.

Speaking to the reporters later today in Chennai, he said that important bills includin Goods and Services Tax (GST), protection of whistleblowers, Real Estate Reulator Bill and Land Bill are under the consideration of the two houses of Parliament and the stalling of Monsoon session would result in delay in implementation of these regulations. He added that blocking GST Bill from getting passed from the Parliament would be against national interest and that according to credit agency Moody's, delay in reforms could affect the growth of economy.

Refering to the suspension of various MPs from the Opposition, he said that there were large number of such suspensions during the time when Congress ruled the country.