Source: Hueiyen News Service / Lukhoi Wangkhem
Imphal, November 04 2008:
STATE GOVERNMENT apparently neglected agriculture and its allied sectors, the back bone of state's economy while keeping eye on the various developmental programmes.
By agriculture and its allied sectors, it included agriculture, fisheries, veterinary ad animal husbandry, horticulture and soil conservation and co-operation.
Out of the total allocation of Rs 2,500 crores in the Union budget for the year 2008-09 for the agriculture and allied sector, Manipur has to get Rs 65 crores.
But due to the division of this sector into various smaller departments, state could not get under one policy.
Apart from a great looser by this outnumber divisions in the said sectors, there is also apprehension of not getting a single coin in the next financial year, sources observed.
In the state where 80 percent of the population is farmers, the state still could not avail the benefits of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, RKVY which was launched in 2007 throughout the country due to reduction in the investment in this agriculture and allied sectors, source disclosed.
Among the north eastern states, only Manipur and Mizoram are left from implementing this welfare scheme of the farmers.
Farmers of other states had already availed the benefits of the scheme.
It a clear indication neglect of the state government toward the sector, observers said.
Out of the total state plan outlay of Rs 559.70 in 2004-05, the allocation in agriculture and allied sector was only Rs 25.69 crores.
It was Rs 43.44 out of 953.14 crores in the following year 2005-06 .
Again it was Rs 35.92 crores out of total plan outlay of Rs 1129.06 crores in 2006-07 while in the next financial year 2007-08, it was Rs 32.55 crores out of total outlay of Rs 1330.61 crores.
Even though the amount is increasing, it terms of percentage of the total outlay, it indicated a reduction trend.
If the percent investment in a sector for a consecutive three years is reduce, a state is not allow to demand additional allocation.
To consider the prevailing situation in the sector, a high level meeting chaired by the state chief secretary Rakesh and attended by top officials of the horticulture and soil conservation, agriculture, veterinary and animal husbandry and fisheries was also held.
In that matter relating to the introduction of the RKVY in the state was also discussed, source said.
Chief Secretary also assured of putting up the matter to the concern ministry at the centre.
The scheme is one of the Central cent percent sponsored schemes for the farmers.
Once a board chaired by the state chief secretary drafts a proposal and put up to the planning commission of India, the funds can be availed by the state in a phase-wise manner.
Under the scheme, it includes distribution of rabi crops seeds to the farmers free of cost, preparation of modality of schemes which can be implement in the state by the related departments, horticulture, agriculture and fisheries etc..
Out of the total fund avail under the RKVY, 75 percent is to be utilized in the agriculture and allied sectors while the remaninig 25 percent is to be utilized in procuring materials for implementing the Central sponsored schemes, the source disclosed.
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