Funding for agri sector goes up three-fold

The negative growth in the agriculture sector has pushed the agriculture sector’s budgetary allocation to Rs6,000crore from last year’s Rs2,300crore.

Money has been allocated for electrification of agricultural pumps and concession to farmers on the loan interest.

Finance minister Ajit Pawar announced electrification of 1.5 lakh agricultural pumps, building 3,000 farm ponds and 18,000 open wells. The state government emphasised completion of irrigation projects by allocating Rs80crore for them.

Pawar claimed that this would bring 16,640 hectares under direct or indirect irrigation. Governor K Sankarnarayanan has directed the government to the fill the backlog in dry areas and Vidarbha region. 

Pawar said the government was implementing many schemes in the dry areas and will ensure that farmers get timely fertilisers, seeds, crop loans and crop insurance. The minister also proposed an outlay of Rs2,500crore towards subsidy in farmers’ electricity bills.

The agriculture sector has registered a negative growth of 9.1% in 2011-12 and that has restrained the growth of agriculture and allied activities sector at -5.1%.  The negative growth is attributed to the late arrival of monsoon in Vidarbha and Marathwada. The failure of the government to increase the percentage of the land under irrigation too has been a region for the poor performance of the agriculture sector.