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Encouraging pvt investment in rural areas proposed

PLANS UNVEILED: The Chief Minister, Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy (right), and the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yediyurappa, at the release of Karnataka Agriculture Policy 2006 at Vidhana Soudha in Bangalore on Thursday. — G.R.N.Somashekar

Bangalore , Dec. 14

The State Government on Thursday announced a new agricultural policy that aims at an annual growth of 4.5 per cent during the next ten years. It also envisages a budgetary plan expenditure of ten per cent of the total plan on the sector to achieve the key goal of improving the farming community.

The policy has also set a five per cent growth in capital formation per annum to support infrastructure development.

`Panchasutra'

Unveiling the policy here, the second in eleven years, the Chief Minister, Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy, gave the highlights of the policy formulated on the basis of "Panchasutra" advocated by renowned agricultural scientist and Chairman of the National Commission on Farmers, Dr M.S. Swaminathan.

The highlights include emphasis on encouraging private sector investment in rural areas, particularly the backward talukas identified by the Nanjundappa Committee. Suitable tax and land incentives for such investment with a strict monitoring clause to ensure implementation of agri-processing units within set time frame were proposed.

The policy also proposed that the subsidy schemes provided for farmers under the Centrally sponsored schemes should be grouped into two separate categories to achieve better crop production and distribution of inputs. These schemes would be designed for easy adoption by all farmers and to facilitate easy implementation.

The second group includes the schemes that essentially support the livelihood of small and marginal farmers. While referring to the stagnation of the agricultural sector in the last decade, the policy also emphasised on improving the income levels of farmers to prevent the increasing distress and deaths among them by creating farm based employment. A long-term policy for land use should be formulated to prevent resource depletion due to external impact of pressures of economic development and ecology.

Also, a second phase of land reforms has been stressed to check the depletion of cultivable land being diverted for non-agricultural use. Establishing Telemetric Rain Gauge stations at Gram Panchayat level in a phased manner and public and private partnership in agricultural education are among the other suggestions made by the new policy.

It envisages constitution of a Rainfed Agricultural Commission under the Chairmanship of a technically competent person constantly designing appropriate strategies for development of rainfed agriculture.

The State will also establish Karnataka Trading Authority at the state-level, on the lines of Indian Trade Authority suggested by Dr Swamininathan committee. This will work in collaboration with Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing Corporation as well as the Department of Industries and Mines to oversee trade issues and safeguard the interests of the State in the changing international trade scenario.

The policy will help Karnataka revitalise its agricultural sector to transform the farmers' lives through higher production and generate more income and employment through agri-based industries, the Agriculture Minister, Mr Bandeppa Kahsempur, said.

More Stories on : Agricultural Policy | Rural Development | Karnataka

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