Farmers Movement Archive

Govt set to roll out agri infrastructure fund benefits to boost farmers’ income

Lucknow: Amid brouhaha over passing of farm bills, the Yogi Adityanath government has geared up for the implementation of central government’s ambitious agricultural infrastructure fund (AIF) at the grassroots level to increase the income of farmers through creation of farm assets. Under the scheme, private, cooperative or government-aided development of farm infrastructure will be provided help by financial institutions at 3% rebate. At the same time, small and medium agri-units will be given credit guarantee. In an order issued to all district magistrates on September 18, additional chief secretary, agriculture, Devesh Chaturvedi has directed for setting up of project monitoring committees in districts which will be chaired by the respective DMs. There is a state-level monitoring committee which is being headed by the chief secretary. Chaturvedi said the district-level committees should convene a meeting at the earliest for swift implementation of AIF scheme which is proposed to support agri-entrepreneurs and farmer producer organizations (FPOs) in building community farming assets and post-harvest agriculture infrastructure. He said the district-level committees should meet regularly so that the progress of the scheme is monitored properly and problems are resolved quickly. The government has also pitched for public awareness about the fund and has roped in traders’ organisations and industrial bodies. In the order, Chaturvedi said the district monitoring committees should strive for more private participation in the scheme. For monitoring of the scheme at the end of the central government, the ministry of agriculture has developed a portal in which proposals sent to financial institutions would be uploaded. The disbursal of funds under the Rs 1 lakh crore scheme would spread over four years, starting with Rs 10,000 crore in the first year and Rs 30,000 crore each over the next three years.

The Times of India

2020-09-25

Lucknow