Following is the
text of the suo-motu statement of the Prime Minister regarding
further relief to the drought affected states, in Parliament,
today:
"I had earlier announced
that the current year’s interest on both the kharif crop loan
and agricultural term loans will be deferred and the loans proper
will be rescheduled into term loans; to be recovered over the
next 5 years in the case of small and marginal farmers, and 3
years in the case of other farmers. In addition, interest, for
one year, on both these types of loans, amounting to Rs.6040 crores,
having been deferred, was to be spread out over several years
as a liability.
In order to further
mitigate the hardship of our farmers in these States, I have now,
decided to waive completely, the first year’s deferred liability
of interest on Kharif loans, as a one time measure. Such of our
citizens as having availed of this facility shall be entitled
to obtain an endorsement of this waiver directly from their loaning
Bank. Appropriate guidelines in this regard will be issued by
the RBI.
As for Agricultural
Input Subsidy, my Government had already announced a grant of
this to small and marginal farmers, amounting to over Rs. 1490
crores. In view, however, of the severity of the drought, I have
decided that this Agricultural Input Subsidy will now be extended
further, to cover all other farmers too, for both the sown and
unsown areas, upto a ceiling of 2 hectares, as a one time measure
and in relaxation of existing guidelines. On the basis of assessment
to be made by the Ministry of Agriculture, in consultation with
the Finance Ministry, all the 14 affected States will receive
additional amounts, based on actual land holding and cultivation
patterns. These States will therefore, now receive in excess of
a further Rs.555 crores, for combating drought, to be met from
either the Calamity Relief Fund or the NCCF.
For cattle, further
additional amount of Rs.25 crores will now be provided to the
Department of animal Husbandry, for support to such ‘gaushalas’
as tend to more than 1000 heads of cattle. Releases may be permitted
directly to NGOs running such ‘gaushalas’. A Committee comprising
of officers from the Department of animal Husbandry, Ministry
of Finance and the PMO will authorize such releases, in tandem
with like and simultaneous disbursements from the Prime Minister’s
Relief Fund.
I wish to add that
the Government has already earlier approved additional assistance
for cattle in which a further sum of Rs.70 crores for cattle care
has already been allotted to Rajasthan. I had also sanctioned
free transportation of cattle-grade feed and fodder to State Governments;
the period of such free transportation of water and fodders will
continue until the end of June, 2003.
On the foodgrains
front, the Government has already sanctioned an allotment of 38.75
lakh Metric Tonnes of rice and wheat, costing over Rs.4000 crores;
free of cost to the 14 drought-affected States of which 19.50
lakh Metric Tonnes for current drought. This tonnage is for three
months only, that is, upto January 2003. More foodgrains will
thereafter be made available to needy States. It is desirable
that there be systematic monitoring however, of the actual utilisation
of this foodgrain in generation of relief employment. Of course,
states are free to seek additional allocations following utilisation
of the allotted foodgrains. It is in this context that PDS functioning
must be improved.
I recognize that
acute water shortage exists, particularly in the drought effected
areas of Rajasthan. I have, therefore, instructed the Ministry
of Railways to run additional water tanker trains to, in part,
mitigate this critical deficiency. The Ministry of Water Resources
will immediately appoint a task force to assist the affected States
in this regard. I am also instructing the Ministry of Petroleum
to examine the possibility of deep drilling rigs being employed
for sinking deep tube wells.
We will meet the
challenge of this drought unitedly and shall ensure that the difficulties
of our citizens are mitigated."
