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Haryana govt to submit Agriculture Infrastructure Development plan of Rs. 3170Cr

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18 August 2020, Chandigarh: Haryana Government is gearing up to submit proposals for agricultural infrastructure development and farmers’ welfare projects to the tune of Rs. 3,170 crore, to the Union Finance Ministry under the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan’ economic package. A task force headed by Additional Chief Secretary, Cooperation Department, has been constituted to examine and recommend projects under the scheme.

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The Central Government had launched the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund with a corpus of Rs. one lakh crore to provide financial support to entrepreneurs, start-ups, agri-tech players and farmer groups for infrastructure and logistics facilities through banks and financial institutions, as part of the economic package under the scheme ‘Financing Facility under Agriculture Infrastructure Fund’.

While stating this here today, Additional Chief Secretary, Cooperation Department, Mr. Sanjeev Kaushal, said that the task force would invite proposals from the stakeholders, examine feasibility of the proposals and recommend the projects for consideration or approval of the Government.

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He said that the task force would include as Members the Director General, Agriculture Department, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Managing Director, Haryana State Warehousing Corporation (HSWC), Managing Director, Haryana State Co-Operative Apex Bank (HARCO Bank), representative of Finance Department, and Chief General Manager, National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), Haryana region. Managing Director, Haryana State Co-operative Supply and Marketing Federation (HAFED) would serve as the Convenor.

Mr. Kaushal said that the proposed projects pertained to making available additional working capital to farmers through special liquidity credit, short term advances and enrolment under Pashu Kisan Credit Card, development of agricultural infrastructure, and infrastructure for Milk Producers Cooperative Societies (MPCS), and digitisation and refurbishment of MPCS, Milk Collection Centres (MCC) and milk plants, among others.

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With a view to encouraging agri-entrepreneurs, the Department would also organise seminars to educate farmers on nurturing farm assets and post-harvest management. These seminars would help farmers get greater value for their produce, reduce wastage, and increase processing and value addition, he added.

He said that State Level Monitoring Committee (SLMC) and District Level Monitoring Committees would also be constituted for effective implementation of the scheme.

The SLMC would be chaired by the Chief Secretary. Agriculture Production Commissioner, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Department, Principal Secretary, Cooperation Department, Registrar of Cooperative Societies, Chief General Manager,  NABARD, Regional Director, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC), State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC) Convenor and not more than three officers nominated by State would serve as Members, whereas State Nodal Officer would serve as the Member Secretary.

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The District Monitoring Committees would be chaired by the respective District Collectors, whereas the Chief Executive Officer of District Panchayat or the Chief Development Officer (CDO) would serve as Vice-Chairman. Members would include District Officer of Agriculture, District Registrar Officer nominated by Cooperative Societies, Lead District Manager of District Level Bankers’ Committee (DLBC) and not more than three officers nominated by State. District Manager of NABARD would serve as Member Secretary.

Photo credit: DFAT photo library on Visual Hunt / CC BY

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