The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : State may get Central aid for farm growth

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

State may get Central aid for farm growth

T. Ramavarman

Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana aims at making agriculture attractive for investors

Meeting convened in Kochi to chalk out programmes

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The State Government has made arrangements to get its due share from the Centre’s Rs.25,000-crore Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, aimed at augmenting the growth rate in agriculture sector.

The total amount earmarked for the Yojana announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently will be spend in the agriculture sector across the country in a period of five years and the scheme has been launched in the background of the sagging share of agriculture in the country’s economic growth.

Economic growth

According to official sources, the Centre has recognised that the country would be able to maintain the present nine per cent economic growth rate only if the agriculture sector registers four per cent growth rate.

The Yojana basically aims at making agriculture attractive for investors and the flow of such large Government investments is expected to woo matching private funds into the sector.

Sources said that only those States which had not been reducing their allocations to the agriculture sector in the last three years would be eligible for the scheme.

Kerala has been included in the list of States which are eligible for coverage under the scheme, even though initially there was some confusion in this regard because of the State spending in the agriculture sector was routed through the local bodies.

The Agriculture Department and State Planning Board have teamed up to host a meeting of Ministers, officials and experts in Kochi on October 6 and 7 to chalk out the programmes to be submitted to the Planning Commission for including in the Yojana.

Commission members Abjit Sen and B.N. Yugandhar are also expected to take part in the deliberations.

Earnest attempt

Planning Board member K.N. Harilal said he was hopeful of a substantial fund flow to the State under the scheme “provided the Centre is earnest about its implementation and has announced it not merely as an election ploy.”

“The State will not be seen wanting in the preparation of State and district-level plans for inclusion in the Yojana. We have already started working on them. The proposed meeting in Kochi will be an important milestone,” Dr. Harilal said.

According to sources, the Planning Commission is unlikely to insist on the submission of district and State-level plans for getting the fund allocation under the Yojana in the current fiscal.

However, such plans are likely to be made mandatory for sanctioning of funds from next financial year. But the State will have to prepare special projects for availing itself of the funds this year. “We will be able to finalise such projects before the deadline,” Dr. Harilal said.

Specific guidelines

Experts suggested that Kerala would be able to get its due share from the project only if the Planning Commission is persuaded to adopt State-specific guidelines for allocating funds for the project.

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