The New Indian Express First Published : 02 Mar 2011 11:37:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 01 Mar 2011 11:55:57 PM IST
A separate budget for agriculture is one way of emphasising a sector that even today provides a living to a majority of Indians. Against this background, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa’s decision last Thursday to present one is a welcome move. The budget draws attention to the so-called backbone of the Indian economy which seems to be suffering from osteoporosis. By this one act Yeddyurappa has shown his commitment to the farm sector.
Agriculture has got a 52 per cent increase in total allocations over last year, from around Rs 11,000 crore to Rs 18,000 crore. In comparison, the total budget is up by 21.7 per cent to Rs 85,319 crore. This is not just manipulation of numbers. There is a clear indication that the chief minister had done a thorough exercise in preparing the agriculture budget. For instance, he has announced the Rs 1000 crore Suvarna Bhoomi scheme to help 10 lakh drought-affected poor farmer families. He has doubled the allocation to Rs 200 crore for organic farming. He plans to expand his pilot project of rejuvenation and reclamation of agricultural land through the Bhoo Chethana scheme to the entire state, hoping to improve farm productivity by 35 per cent. A sum of Rs 125 crore is earmarked for biofuel development and the revolving fund to help farmers avoid distress sale goes up to Rs 1,000 crore. The crown undoubtedly is agricultural loans of up to Rs 3 lakh at 1 per cent interest rate through the cooperative sector.
Encouraged by the success of the global investors’ meet, Yeddyurappa now plans a similar meet for agribusiness investors to attract more investments in the farm and allied sectors. The allocation for irrigation is doubled to Rs 7,800 crore and 2011-2020 declared as the irrigation decade in the hope of attracting at least Rs 50,000 crore in investment for that sector alone.
Rural India is plagued by serious problems — migration due to urbanisation, increasing average age in the villages, non-availability of infrastructure to protect farm produce, steep fluctuations in the prices of foodgrains and other agricultural produce. All this has led to deep insecurities and even greater migration in a vicious, self-perpetuating cycle. Governments need to act quickly to ensure a balance between rural and urban India. There is an urgent need to instil confidence among people in the villages. A separate agriculture budget is one such step and Yeddyurappa should be commended for his decision.
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