Eighth Series. Vol. XLIII, No. 2 Thursday, November 3.1988 Kartika 12,1910 (Saka) LOK SABHA DEBATES (English Version) Twelfth Session (Eighth Lok Sabha) [Vol. XLIU contains Nos. I to 101 LOK SABHA SECRETARIAT NEW DELHI Price: Rs. 6.00 CONTENTS [Eighth Series, Volume XLIII, Twelfth Session, 1988/1910 (Saka)] No. 2. Thursday, November 1988/KaMka 1Z 1910 (Saka) COLUMNS Oral Answers to Questions: ‘ Starred Questions Nos. 21 to 24, 27, 28 and 34 .... 1— 32 Written Answers to Questions: Starred Questions Nos. 26, 29 to 33, 35 and 37 to 40 • ... 32-44 Unstarred Questions Nos. 78 to 84. 86 to 141 143 to 163, 165 to 174, 176 to 194, 196 to 202, 204 to 212, 214 to 225. 227 to "231 and 233 ... 44— 227 Papers Laid on the Table 231— 232 Assent to Bills 2 3 2 -2 3 5 Statement Re: Proposal of Punjab Agro Industries Corporation for setting up a Joint Venture in Punjab with M/s Voltas and in Collaboration with M/s PEPSICO— 235-243 Shri Jagdish Tytler 235 Election to Committee- Public Accounts Committee ... 243-244 Committee of Privileges— Extension of time for presentation of Report of the Committee ... 244-245 Business Advisory Committee- Sixtieth Report— Adopted 245 •The Sign + marked above the name of a Member indicates that the question was actually asked on the floor of the House by that Member. COLUMNS Matters Under Rule 377— ... 245-251 (i) Steps needed to check dengu fever and Encephalitis in Gorakhpur Division of U.P.— « Shri Madan Pandey 245 (ii) Need to upgrade the Agricultural Research Complex at Ella, old Goa, into a full-fledged institute— Shri Shantararr Naik 246 (iii) Need to take steps to help the Engineering Industry. in the country to overcome the crisis caused due to shortage of raw material, etc.— • Dr. Krupasindhu Bhoi 247 (iv) Need to check illegal fellihg of trees in the country, particularly in Orissa— Shri Radhakanta Digal 248 (v) Need to increase the quota of edible oil to Maharashtra— Shri Shared Dighe 248 (vi) Need to restore the old timings of Nilanchal and Delhi- Puri Express Trains and restoration of withdrawan trains passing through Orissa— Shri Brajamohan Mohanty 249 (vii) Need to urgently set right the Telephone system in Tamil Nadu— Shri Kadambur Janarthanan 250 (viii) Need to inquire into the role of Bhakra Management Board in releasing water without any pre-warning during recent floods in Punjab— Shri Balwant Singh Ramoowalia 251 B « Statutory Resolution Re: Approval of continuance in Force of President’s Proclamation in relation to the State of Punjab— .. 251— 328 Shri Thampan Thomas 252 (iii) COLUMNS Shri Zainul Basher' ... 257 Or. G.S. Dhillon ... 264 Shrimati Geeta Mukheijee ... 275 Shri Sharad Dighe ... 261 Shri Mohd. Ayub Khan ... 284 Shri A.C. Shanmugam ... 287 Shri Virdhi Chander Jain ... 290 Shri Satyendra Narayan Sinha ... 292 Shri K.D. Sultanpuri ... 296 Shri Het Ram ... 299 Shri Shantaram Naik ... 301 Shri Bhadreswar Tanti ... 304 Shri Piyus Tiraky . ... 305 Shri Mahabir Prasad Yadav ... 308 Shri C. Janga Reddy ... 309 Snri Keyur Bhushan ... 311 Shri N.V.N. Somu ... 314 Shri Balwant Singh Ramoowalia ... 315 Shri Kali Prasad Pandey ... 319 Prof. Saifuddin Soz ... 320 Shri P. Chidambaram ... 319 Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Amendment) Bill— Introduced 328-332 discussion Under Rule 193— •• 333-346 * Demands of farmers and Agricultural Labour— Shri C. Janga Reddy - 334 LOK SABHA DEBATES 1 2 LOK SABHA ment has been incurring losses ever since the Crop Insurance Scheme has been im­ Thursday, November 3, 1988/ Kartika 12, plemented. In 1985 there was a loss oi 1910 (Saka) Rs.83 crores and in 1987 of Rs. 290 crores. We want to give protection to the agricul­ tural economy, whether it is by means of The Lok Sabha met at Eleven of the Qock fertilizers, or by giving subsidy through en­ (MR. SPEAKER in the Chair] ergy, or else by allowing support price to the farmers. But in the event of natural calamities, the question arises as to how to (ORAL ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS) give protection to the farmers. In that event, insurance alone, can chiefly provide a IEnglish] solution. Review of Comprehensive Crop It has come to notice that instead of Insurance Scheme promoting the insurance scheme, there h&s «*- been slackness in it. I want to know •21. SHRI VIJAY N. PATIL whether the reason behind this slackness is SHRI V. SREENIVASA PRASAD: that the govt, are incurring constant losses on this account? Are you going to increase Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE be the amount of premiuftiMand include sugar­ pleased to state: cane, banana and other cash crops in it so that your premium collections may increase (a) whether the review of Comprehen­ and the losses may be reduced? In this way sive crop Insurance Scheme undertaken by all the crops will be covered under*the' Government to reduce losses has been scheme. What steps are you going to take completed; in order to reduce the extent of loss, for the proper implementation of the scheme? (b) if so, the outcome thereof; and SHRI BHAJAN LAL Mr. Speaker, Sir, he (c) the steps Government propose to has asked a very valid question. This is take to reduce the financial burden of Gov­ right that many a times farmer's crop gets ernment in the field of crop insurance? destroyed due to hail storm, drought or floods. Keeping this in view, Government [Translation] has introduced the crop Insurance scheme. But there ^ some lacuna in it due to which THE MINISTER OF ACRI CULTURE there have been many complaints during (SHRI BHAJAN LAL): (a) to (c). A Group was the last two years. The Government has constituted by Government to conduct an collected an amounts of Rs. 56.84 crores as indepth study and critical review of the premium during the period 1985-86 to functioning of the Comprehensive Crop In­ 1987-88. The Government has come to pay surance Scheme (CCIS). The recommenda­ an amount of Rs. 550 crores as claims dur­ tions of the Group have been considered ing these three years. Complaints have and modification of the Scheme from Rabi been received from many quarters, espe­ 1988-89 onwards is presently under ex­ cially Maharashtra and Gujarat, that some amination of the Government. people have filed wrong claims. Com­ plaints have also been received to the ef­ SHRI VIJAY N. PATIL Mr. Speaker, Sir, fect that at many places, a loan of Rs. 150 this is not an encouraging reply, Govern- crores was raised in a single day to get the 3 Oral Answers NOVEMBER 3 , 19B8 Oral Answers 4 benefit of claim after covering the people SHRI VIJAY N. PATIL: I have not got re­ under this scheme. Keeping in view all this ply to my question as to whether sugar­ the hon. Prime Minister has constituted a cane, banana and other cash crops are also Committee, under the chairmanship of Shri going to be covered. P.V. Narasimha Rao with the hon. Finance Minister and myself as the members of The main reason of the losses incurred committee to suggest the steps for the during the last three years is also that a proper implementation and continuance of major part of India was struck by drought. the scheme. Tw o or three meetings of this Even this year, due to excessive rains, committee have been held and it has been crops have been damaged in Punjab, As­ decided that this scheme should be contin­ sam etc. ued. Once a situation had arisen when we had been compelled to drop this scheme. SHRI K.S. RAO: This has happened in But now this scheme is continuing and Andhra Pradesh also. some changes have been effected in it. Ear­ lier farmers were paid at the rate of 150 per SHRI VIJAY N. PATIL In Andhra Pradesh cent of the loan amound raised by them. also it is the same situation. The amount of Suppose one had taken a loan amounting claim given there during the last years is 60 to Rs. 3000, he was paid Rs. 4,500. Now per cent. Wherever the number of claims this has been reduced to 100 per cent sanctioned there was more, the losses in­ whereby only the loan taken from the bank curred also have been proportionately is covered. There has been no increase in higher. the amount of premium and its limit has also been raised to Rs. 10,000. It is being You are going to implement this scheme seriously considered as to how to continue in the whole country for all the farmers, but with it in the future and to cover all the my suggestion is, that it should be imple­ farmers under it, irrespective of the fact mented at the earliest. The enthusiasm that the farmers have taken loan or not. which marked the beginning of the scheme The amount of premium may be raised and seems to be sliding down and the people anyone who wants to get his crops insured are gathering the impression that this may do so. At present block is the unit and scheme was meant to mislead the people a farmer can get his claim in case ther.e is by the Central Covemment and that the 80 per cent loss in the entire block unit. Government is not serious about it. What Each block consists of 100-200 villages and steps are the Covemment going to take in all the villages are not hit at the same mo­ ord«*r to remove this misconception of the ment by floods and hailstorm.