Govt considering crop insurance, remunerative prices

New Delhi, Nov 17: The government is looking at the possibility of crop insurance for farmers and remunerative prices for their produce to check the trend of suicides among farmers.

UPA Chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi today said the government had taken a number of steps and was taking more, specially in areas like Vidarbha and Andhra Pradesh, where the suicide rate was high.

''The Prime Minister and the Agriculture Minister have taken a number of steps to help farmers...They are looking at all these areas...the crop insurance, remunerative prices...The goverrnment is looking at that,'' she said in a question-answer session after her inaugural address at the Fourth Annual Hindustan Times Leadership Summit here.

She, however, said improving the farmers' condition could not be done ''within a month'' and would take some time.

To another question she said education, including primary education, was ''very much a priority'' for the government.

Admitting that teachers don't attend schools in many remote and rural areas, she said the government is taking steps to prevent such behaviour.

However, she expressed satisfaction that children in rural areas were now attending schools and parents too, were keen on their education, which was contrary to about a decade ago.

''That is most rewarding...a very good beginning...we have to ensure good teachers and wwe are working on this.''

To another question, Ms Gandhi said she was personally in favour of participation of private sector in vocational education. She agreed with a suggestion on utilising the services of a force of 20 lakh ex-servicemen in rural restructuring saying she had suggested to the government to take their services as they are disciplined, secular and nspire people.'' They would be best suited (for monitoring) developmental schemes in rural areas.

Referring to the assitance by private enterprise in social uplift, she said that in India, people are still hesitant to engage in such activities like Bill Gates does.

She admitted that there were ''weaknesses and lacunae and the government had to do a lot but said it could not be done without private sector participation.

UNI