New Delhi: More than 2.9 crore farmers have
benefitted from loan waiver scheme so far, for which the
government has released Rs 52,419 crore, Parliament was
informed on Tuesday.
A total of 1.04 crore farmers have been benefitted under
the scheme from public sector banks, private banks and local
areas banks, and 1.89 crore in respect of Regional Rural Banks
(RRBs) and Cooperative Banks, Minister of State for
Agriculture Harish Rawat said in a written reply to the Lok
Sabha.
The government has so far released Rs 52,419.88 crore to
the lending institutions as reimbursement under the scheme, he
said.
A scheme of agricultural debt waiver and debt relief for
farmers, with total value of overdue loans being waived
estimated at Rs 50,000 crore, and a one-time settlement (OTS)
relief on the overdue loans at Rs 10,000 crore was announced
in the Union Budget 2008-09.
In reply to an another question on insurance scheme for
farmers, the minister said a total of 37,606,380 hectares were
insured in the country during 2010-11.
The minister said maximum areas covered under insurance
scheme were in Rajasthan, followed by Madhya Pradesh and
Andhra Pradesh.
Rawat said that at present the agriculture ministry is
implementing four crop insurance schemes -- National
Agricultural Insurance Scheme (NAIS), Pilot Modified National
Agriculture Insurance Scheme (MNAIS), Pilot Weather Based Crop
Insurance Scheme (WBCIS) and Pilot Coconut Palm Insurance
Scheme (CPIS).
All schemes are demand driven and there is no ceiling on
funds by the government for payment of the claims under these
schemes, he said, adding that requirement of funds depends on
crop yield, weather conditions and level of penetration of the
schemes.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, November 29, 2011, 18:57