MYSURU: The maiden budget of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai carries a clear green stamp, ostensibly to appease farmers. The CM has come with some smart initiatives to check the Opposition parties with substantially increased funds for the farm sector and also with the introduction of new programmes.
Apart from reintroducing the Yashaswini health insurance scheme and other programmes, the allocation of Rs 33,700 crore for agriculture and allied sectors aims to increase farmers’ incomes. Bommai, who had announced scholarships for children of farmers soon after assuming office, announced the Raitha Skathi programme providing Rs 500 crore to encourage the use of farm machinery. To reduce the fuel expenditure burden on farmers, for the first time in the state, diesel subsidy of Rs 250 per acre was announced, subject to a maximum of 5 acres.
The Krishi Yantradhare Centres will now be extended to all hoblis to make farm machinery affordable to small and marginal farmers. A Directorate of Secondary Agriculture was announced to enable value addition to primary agricultural produce and create more marketing opportunities with the help of farmer producer organisations.
Karnataka, which has brought two lakh acres under natural farming, aims to further increase it through agriculture/horticulture universities, and take up Pradhana Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojane (watershed development component-2.0) with assistance from the Centre.
The CM announced establishing new agricultural colleges at Kagari in Ballari and plans to brand tur dal, mainly cultivated in Kalaburgi and Yadagiri, under ‘Bhima Pulse’. To bring more women towards farming, the Krishi Prashasthi and Krishi Pandita Prashasthi awards will be presented.
Bommai has also set aside Rs 50 crore for commissioning of MySugar factory in Mandya. The government plans to increase horticulture cultivation and will develop a multi-purpose ‘Atal Bihari Vajpayee Park’ on 350 acres of government land in Jarakabande area near Yelahanka on the lines of the Lalbagh and Cubbon Parks.
Mega Boost
33 lakh
farmers will be given loans of Rs 24,000 crore under interest subsidy scheme
Rs 300 crore
Re-introduction of ‘Yashaswini’ scheme to provide medical facilities to farmers at a grant of