Vijayawada: Minister for Agriculture K. Kannababu presented the budget for agriculture and allied sectors with an outlay of Rs.31,256.36 crore for the year 2021—22 with emphasis on the welfare of farmers in the Assembly on Thursday.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister expressed gratitude to the farming community for working hard, braving the Corona pandemic, to feed the people. He thanked Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy for being partial towards the farmers by paying utmost care for their welfare since assuming office. He said the state government had spent in the last 23 months an amount of nearly Rs. 68,000 core for implementing various schemes with a major allocation of Rs. 17,430 crore for providing free power to the farmers.
Being critical of the previous Telugu Desam government for failing to clear dues, he said that their government had cleared pending dues worth Rs. 2,771 crore. He thanked the CM for giving him the opportunity to present the agriculture budget for the third consecutive year. He said the CM believed that if the farmer was happy the whole state would prosper, and, accordingly, he turned farmer—biased and so did the entire government machinery.
Detailing allocation of funds for various schemes, the minister informed that Rythu Bharosa Kendralu (RBKs) were providing a series of services ranging from providing seeds to procurement of crops and said that they were working on four pillars of supply of quality inputs, training and agriculture extension, procurement and sale and integrated agriculture advisory centres. He described them as ‘Farmers’ Modern Temples,’ and said that an amount of Rs. 128 crore was proposed to strengthen the RBKs further in the budget.
For the implementation of YSR Rythu Bharosa—PK Kisan scheme, an amount of Rs. 6,876.50 crore was proposed in the budget, he said. For distribution of seed on subsidy basis at RBK level, an amount of Rs. 100 crore was allocated. The Minister informed that 6.99 lakh quintals of subsidy seed was distributed to 13.96 lakh farmers for Kharif 2020, and 2.20 lakh quintals supplied to Rs. 3.04 lakh farmers for Rabi through the RBKs.
Proposed allocation of funds under several schemes in the budget include: Dr YSR Free Crop Insurance — Rs. 1,802.82 crore; YSR Sunna Vaddi Patna Runalu — Rs.500 crore; for Dr YSR Polambai, an amount of Rs.61.91 crore was proposed from the Centrally sponsored schemes; Organic Farming Policy — Rs.311.62 crore under APCNF from the Centrally Sponsored Schemes; Dr YSR Agriculture Testing Labs — Rs.88.57 crore; Natural Calamity Relief Fund — Rs.2,000 crore; Ex Gratia to farmers families — Rs.20 crore. In total, agriculture department has got a total allocation of Rs.14,049.29 crore in the budget.
An amount of Rs.610.8 crore has been proposed for allocation towards marketing department with specific allocation for price stabilisation fund to the tune of Rs.500 crore. Proposed allocation of funds for various departments include: Department of Cooperation — Rs.303.04 crore; food processing—Rs.186.91 crore; horticulture — Rs.537.03 crore; sericulture — Rs.97.36 crore; animal husbandry — Rs.1,026.37 crore; fisheries — Rs.329.48 crore; agriculture power subsidy to farmers — Rs.5,000 crore; MGNREGS works — Rs.8,116.16 crore and YSR Jala Kala — Rs.200 crore. For developmental works and research aspects, Acharya NG Ranga Agricultural University got an allocation of Rs.359.76 crore and Dr YSR Horticulturural University Rs.69.91 crore in the budget.
