The Hindu : National : Yechury for big investments in farm sector

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Wednesday, Aug 24, 2005

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Yechury for big investments in farm sector

Special Correspondent

CPI(M) leader opens his oratorical innings in the Rajya Sabha "Solutions and suggestions contained in the mid-term appraisal of the Tenth Five Year Plan did not match."

NEW DELHI: : Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury on Tuesday opened his oratorical innings in the Rajya Sabha by initiating a short duration discussion on the state of agriculture, poverty and unemployment in the light of the mid-term appraisal of the Tenth Five Year Plan.

Though the House did not have full attendance and Dinesh Trivedi (Trinamool Congress) who was in the chair announced that it would be Mr. Yechury's maiden speech, it was left to senior CPI (M) member Nilotpal Basu to often turn around and appreciate the foray of the new entrant.

Describing the situation in the agriculture sector as "grave," Mr. Yechury said that solutions and suggestions contained in the mid-term appraisal of the Tenth Five Year Plan did not match. Availability of per capita food grain in the country had reduced drastically to the levels of World War II, whereas the availability or output had not come down to that level.

Mr. Yechury said the degree of poverty had grown in the country and the poor rural people did not have the purchasing power.

Calling for large investments in the agriculture sector to tackle rural poverty, he said that employment concentration was focussed on the sector that had 70 per cent of the people in the country working in it.

"Disturbing moves"

Criticising the proposal to raise water tariff for the farmers as well as the move to introduce universal public distribution system, he said these were "disturbing" moves. He said the stock of food grains in the country was swelling because the rural poor did not have the purchasing power.

His arguments opposing any move to cut down subsidies on food and fertilizers found ready support from other members who asserted that subsidies in agriculture sector should continue to tackle poverty, generate employment and speed up economic growth.

Frank assessment

Stating that the mid-term appraisal was a "free, frank and candid'' assessment of the three years of the Tenth Plan, members participating in the discussion said the Public Distribution System should be strengthened and efforts be stepped up to raise the purchasing power of the Below Poverty Line (BPL) people to enable them to buy from the scheme.

"Only solution"

Disfavouring raising of inputs through curtailing subsidies, Mr. Yechury said "the only solution, both human and based on sound economic policy, is to restore the lost purchasing power through the Employment Guarantee Scheme and continue with food and fertilizer subsidies.'' He lamented that during the first three years of the Tenth Plan only 43 per cent of the allocated funds were used as against the warranted 66 per cent.

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