Budget 2014: Rural irrigation scheme to cut dependence on monsoon

The government will launch a nationwide rural irrigation scheme to insulate farmers from excessive dependence on monsoon and take multiple initiatives to bring "technology-driven second green revolution" with focus on higher productivity.

Finance minister Arun Jaitley allocated over Rs 1,700 crore for new measures to boost agriculture activities during 2014-15. While Rs 1,000 crore will be spent on creating infrastructure for the rural irrigation scheme (Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana) to provide assured water to farmers, the remaining amount will go towards providing ' Soil Health Card' to all farmers and setting up various research institutions and 'Agri-Tech Infrastructure Fund'.

The 'Soil Health Card' will carry crop-wise recommendations of nutrients/fertilizers required for farms in a particular village, helping farmers improve productivity by using inputs judiciously.

The rural irrigation scheme will focus on harnessing local sources of water by building check dams, ponds, water tanks and other infrastructure at village level. This scheme will mitigate the risk of farmers in a bad monsoon year.

Noting that farming accounts for one-sixth of the GDP and employs the majority of the country's working population, Jaitely said, "To make farming competitive and profitable, there is an urgent need to step up investment, both public and private, in agro-technology development and creation and modernization of existing agri-business infrastructure."

Providing loan to landless farmers through Nabard, giving additional incentive to farmers under interest subvention scheme, setting up 100 mobile soil testing laboratories, setting aside Rs 50 crore for development of indigenous cattle breeds and an equal amount for starting a 'blue revolution' in inland fisheries are other proposals of the budget.

Besides, the FM also proposed to set up two agriculture research institutions of excellence in Assam and Jharkhand, agriculture universities in Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan and horticulture universities in Telangana and Haryana. An initial sum of Rs 200 crore has been allocated for this purpose.

The government will also launch 'Kisan TV', dedicated to the interests of agriculturists and allied sectors. The budget provides for Rs 100 crore for this.