Government to roll-out ''big'' farm package

23 May 2007

New Delhi: At the occasion of evaluation of three years of the UPA government on Tuesday prime minister Manmohan Singh said the government would soon unveil a "major initiative" in the next 10 days, which will not only enhance the total public investment in agriculture, but will also enable states to resolve problems of agriculture through comprehensive localised plans.

Dr Singh said the UPA government''s "inclusive growth" strategy, meant stepping up investments in rural infrastructure and agriculture, increasing credit availability to farmers and offering them remunerative price for their produce, besides putting in place the National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme and enhancing public spends on education and healthcare.

The PM said, "Through Bharat Nirman, we expect to invest Rs1,74,000 crore in rural roads, housing, drinking water supply, irrigation, electrification and telecommunication," he said.

Further, he said the budgetary allocation for education has been nearly trebled in three years to Rs32,000 crore in 2007-08, while that for health and family welfare more than doubled to Rs17,560 crore.

In agriculture and rural development, funding has been stepped up to over Rs60,000 crore this fiscal, he added.