The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : YSR moots cooperative farming in State

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Thursday, Jun 11, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

YSR moots cooperative farming in State

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy has strongly pitched for launching cooperative farming on pilot-basis in all the districts of the State to increase productivity to help small and marginal farmers.

Mooting the concept during his reply to motion of thanks to Governor’s address in both the Houses of Legislature on Wednesday, Dr. Reddy explained the cooperative farming model. He said the idea was an attempt to address the problems faced by large section of small and marginal farmers. On an experimental basis, two or three villages in each district with 2,000 acres would be selected where the entire agriculture land holding would be transferred to the proposed cooperative societies.

The money accrued by such sale would be treated as the investment and the government would pool in with its share and borrow from the banks also. Leaders of all political parties would be consulted before implementing the concept. Farmers would have the choice to sell their share and reclaim their lands if the cooperative farming model failed.

Replying to clarifications, Dr. Reddy said a delegation of Legislators would be taken to New Delhi to urge upon the Centre to accord national projects status to major irrigation schemes, if there was any necessity. Dispelling fears about the availability of electricity to operate the numerous lift irrigation projects, he said an installed capacity of 10,000 MW will be earmarked in the State grid exclusively for these projects. He disclosed that more new projects would be taken up for Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda, Prakasam, Nellore, Kurnool, Kadapa and Chittoor districts based on the Krishna waters to irrigate 25 lakh acres once the tribunal on the river gave its report.

Expressway

He disclosed that the P.V.Narasimha Rao elevated expressway connecting Shamshabad international airport would be inaugurated on August 15. The Rs. 12,132-crore metro rail project would be handed to “next best” company within the consortium headed by Maytas Infra, which was originally awarded the project, after ascertaining abilities of Maytas Infra.

He said that his government would continue to make heavy public investments on irrigation and other projects, as an important ingredient of the strategy adopted for its second term to achieve 9 per cent economic growth for the State.

This would not only attract private investment but also have a multiplier effect on people by generating income for them.

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