The animal husbandry department under the Agriculture Ministry has proposed a higher subsidy for its projects in hill areas, extremist-affected districts and the north-east States.
Mr Sanjay Bhoosreddy, Joint Secretary, Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries told Business Line that a new formula-based subsidy rates for economically backward areas was now being considered by the Government for implementation in the 12th plan.
Indirect help
Under the proposal, eight States (including Sikkim) of the north eastern region will belong to a category that would be eligible for 15 percentage points more subsidy than the general category areas. “People of the hill and Naxalites-hit districts of a State in a general-category State would also proposed to be eligible for this additional subsidy,” Mr Bhoosreddy said.
Ladakh, Leh and Kargil, however, would be for another category that may be entitled for 100 per cent subsidised support for the animal husbandry schemes.
The official also said the department decided that this year grants or subsidies to the State agencies, such as life stock boards, NGOs or universities – principally for infrastructure — would be routed through the State governments, instead of direct disbursements.
However, individual beneficiaries under various bankable schemes would continue to get direct credit to their accounts through Nabard. Mr R.P. Bhargava, Deputy General Manager, Nabard, said from April 1 the disbursements through cheques have been replaced by electronic money transfer.
Mr Bhoosreddy said the department is currently engaged in preparing a long-term “action plan” for combating bird and swine flu.
The department has been implementing 11 Central sector and Centrally-sponsored schemes for the development of requisite infrastructure. It has also been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments for achieving accelerated growth of the animal husbandry sector.
> jayanta_mallick@thehindu.co.in
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