CHENNAI: The PMK on Sunday unveiled a shadow agriculture budget, suggesting 281 ideas under 75 titles to support the agrarian community in the State.
Some of the suggestions in the party's 13th shadow budget include construction of cold storage in every taluk to store perishable goods, setting up of food processing industries in every district, export centres in every district for value-added agriculture products, a new horticulture university at Salem, sericulture college at Hosur in Krishnagiri district, three agriculture universities at Thanjavur, Vellore and Tirunelveli, a rice technology park at Thanjavur, and Rs 7,000 crore allocation for boosting agriculture infrastructure and research facilities.
"The number of working days for MGNREGS should be increased to 150 days and the scheme must be extended to farm hands also, all sand quarries should be closed, a separate market must be established in every district headquarters for horticulture produce, and free ride must be allowed for farmers transporting their produce to markets after 8 pm in government buses," the shadow budget further suggested.
PMK's suggestions
Setting up of food processing industries in every district, export centres, a new university