Agribusiness sector in Maharashtra to get Rs 2,100 crore boost

The state cabinet also cleared a proposal to include 13 agriculture-related scheme under the new MahaDBT scheme.
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis (Photo | PTI)
Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis (Photo | PTI)

MUMBAI: In a major decision aimed at transforming the agribusiness sector of the state, Maharashtra state cabinet on Monday cleared an ambitious World Bank funded Rs 2,100 crore project. 

The state cabinet also cleared a proposal to include 13 agriculture-related scheme under the new MahaDBT scheme wherein all the applications related to the scheme would be handled online with minimum human interference and thereby ensure more transparency.

The cabinet also cleared 35 other proposals that include permission for Rs 3,122 crore worth tenders for water grid project in Latur and Osmanabad districts, setting up of 16 dedicated courts for business disputes, waiving of private money lenders’ loans taken by farmers, setting up of training institute for government teachers, salary hike for engineering and medical college faculties etc.

Agriculture minister Dr Anil Bonde said that the SMART (State of Maharashtra’s Agribusiness and Rural Transformation) scheme with the help of World Bank would benefit 30 lakh farmers across the state, while the new simplified DBT procedure for 13 schemes of his department would benefit around 1.30 crore farmers of the state.

“The SMART scheme is aimed at enabling farmers in value addition and sale and marketing of their agro-products, while the DBT will do away with need for repeated verification, avoid duplication, bring in transparency and give a correct sense of demands for various kinds of requirements of the farmers and make the system more responsive to their needs,” Dr Bonde said.

To enhance the effectiveness of the DBT scheme a mobile of MahaDBT portal too would be launched very soon, he added.

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