Centre grants Rs 351 crores to AP for loss of crops in '21 floods

Tirupati: Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that AP government sought an additional financial assistance of Rs 1,080.71 crore, including Rs 555.19 crore, for agricultural input subsidy from NDRF (National Disaster Response Fund) for the damage caused by heavy rains and floods in the state in 2021. However, based on the report of the inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) and the recommendations of the sub-committee of national executive committee, the high level committee approved financial assistance of Rs 351.43 crore, including Rs 201.90 crore for agricultural input subsidy from NDRF.

The minister was replying in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday to a question raised by Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy. The MP asked the Union government whether it is aware that heavy rains and floods in four districts of AP have damaged agricultural crops spread over eight lakh hectare with crop loss estimated to be around Rs 3,000 crore and any compensation and financial assistance has been provided for the same to the state.

The minister also said that to provide financial support and claims against the crop yield losses due to natural risk/calamities, adverse weather conditions, pests and diseases, etc., crop insurance schemes namely, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) and Restructured Weather-Based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) are being implement by the government. Both the schemes are voluntary for the states and farmers.

All the farmers growing the crops notified by the state government concerned are eligible for coverage by paying their share of premium and get claims on loss of crop as per provisions of the respective schemes. He made it clear that AP was not implementing the PMFBY since the rabi 2019-20 season.