Budget 2013-2014: speech of P. Chidambaram, Minister of Finance.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on Thursday announced a sharp increase of Rs 1.25 lakh crore in agriculture credit target to Rs 7 lakh crore for next fiscal and allocated additional Rs 10,000 crore in subsidy for implementing the Food Security Bill.

He also allocated 22 per cent more funds to Agriculture Ministry at Rs 27,049 crore for the 2013-14 fiscal, of which Rs 3,415 crore has been earmarked for farm research.

Economic Survey 2013: Agriculture reforms must, says report. With agriculture growth rate falling short of the 4 per cent target in last five years, the sector needs urgent reforms to boost crop yields and private investment in infrastructure so as to motivate farmers and feed the growing population.

The farm sector achieved 3.6 per cent growth during the 11th Five year Plan (2007-12), falling short of the 4 per cent growth target, although it was much higher than growth of 2.5 and 2.4 per cent during 9th and 10th Plans, it added.

The agriculture ministry is seeking more budgetary support to increase farm sector growth rate to 4% per annum from 3.5% at present.

“The allocation this year would be more as the country needs to produce more to provide food security to the nation,” an agriculture ministry official said. “The scheme ‘Bringing Green Revolution in Eastern India’ has done well with increased funds of . 1,000 crore. We expect more allocation.” In the last budget, the total plan outlay for agriculture and cooperation was increased by 18% from . 17,123 crore in 2011-12 to . 20,208 crore.

The govt will take steps to reduce its shortcomings through the tools of modern communication and information, says Sonia Gandhi

Congress President Sonia Gandhi today strongly pitched for utilising MNREGA to increase agricultural production, saying the flagship scheme can play a big role to usher in second green revolution in India. "I am of the belief that MNREGA has tremendous potential to increase agriculture production, which we have not been able to tap fully till date. There are many possibilities not only for creating community assets in villages but also providing irrigation facilities to small and marginalised farmers, developing land and promoting farming.

Political rhetoric about the upswing in Punjab’s economy aside, the state has slipped from sixth spot to twelfth in six years as per the latest edition of the Economic Freedom Index (EFI).

President Pranab Mukherjee today said the country can achieve the targeted 4 per cent growth in the agriculture sector during the 12th Plan period with the help of better seeds, improved water mana

Vaman Acharya, Chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), said on Thursday that the KSPCB had named Mangalore and Bhadravati as “critically polluted” cities in the State.

He was inaugurating a three-day international conference on “Environment and occupation health” organised by Manipal University, the National Institute of Occupational Health (NIOH), Ahmedabad, and the Regional Occupational Health Centre (ROHC), Bangalore, here.

The Vidhan Sabha today unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Centre to help the state in promoting diversification and demanded a technology mission with an allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for G

BHAWANIPATNA: Pest attacks are back to haunt farmers of Kalahandi district.

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