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Saturday, May 17, 2008
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Chief Minister allays fears about food scheme funding

C. Gouridasan Nair

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan has allayed fears about availability of funds for the proposed Food Security Mission and said that the local self-government institutions in the State alone would provide more than Rs.600 crore for the scheme.

Replying to questions during an exclusive interview granted on Friday to The Hindu on the occasion of the LDF government’s second anniversary, Mr. Achuthanandan said each of the local bodies was supposed to spend 40 per cent of their Plan allocation for agriculture and, taken together, this alone would result in more than Rs.600 crore being available for the food security scheme. Similar funding would be available from the Departments of Water Resources, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Finance as well, he pointed out.

Mr. Achuthanandan said the Cooperation Department would simultaneously examine the possibility of providing interest-free loans to farmers to meet their cultivation costs.

The Chief Minister said the State Planning Board’s estimate was that if there was total dedication and involvement on the part of the various departments, the local bodies and the people, the food security scheme would help enhance rice production by at least 15,000 tonnes annually.

This would help increase domestic production of rice substantially in three years from the present 6 lakh-odd tonnes and meet a substantial part of the vegetables that the State needs.

Seeking to play down the differences with the CPI on the issue, the Chief Minister said apprehensions about the viability of the scheme in its present shape were misplaced.

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