West Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra on Monday, said that the State’s agriculture and allied sectors grew 2.56 per cent in 2012-13. This is when the country’s agriculture and allied sector grew about 1.8 per cent during the same period.
In his budget speech for 2013-14, Mitra proposed to allocate Rs 585 crore to the agri department, Rs 181 crore to the agri marketing department and Rs 118 crore to the food and supplies department to strengthen the agriculture economy in the State.
The State, Mitra said, facilitated setting up of nearly 662 demonstration centres for enhancing productivity of crops, primarily, rice, wheat, maize, pulses and sugarcane.
These demonstration centres focus on technology, providing quality seeds and fertilisers to farmers to help enhance productivity, a senior official in the State agriculture department told
Nearly 95 Krishak Bazars were set up at the block level at an estimated investment of Rs 537 crore under the RIDF (rural infrastructure development fund) and RKVY (Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana) funds in 2012-13.
The absence of adequate number of godowns for storing food grains was one of the key hurdles in revamping the public distribution system, Mitra observed.
The construction of godowns to hold nearly 3.25 lakh tonne of food grains at an estimated investment of Rs 344 crore was under way. Plans are also afoot to construct godowns with a capacity to hold an additional one lakh tonne, he said.
Food Processing
The State has finalised plans for development of cluster project, mini food park and terminal market complex to expand the food processing industry.
Schemes have been undertaken to rejuvenate mango orchards in Malda district and pineapple development programme in Uttar Dinajpur district.
“The National Horticulture Mission is being implemented in 14 districts. Under this programme, over 5,000 acres under mango, guava and lichi and over 3,500 acres under non-perennial food such as banana and over 2,000 acres under flower cultivation have been covered,” he said.
Tea
Mitra also proposed to extend the exemption granted to tea gardens from payment of rural employment cess and education cess till April 1, 2014.
In his State budget 2012-13, he had exempted tea gardens from payment of rural employment cess and education cess for a year from April 1, 2012.
The tea industry in the State is expected to save an estimated sum of over Rs 1 crore every month on account of the relief extended to the industry, a senior official in the Indian Tea Association said.