The government has raised the Minimum Support Prices of agricultural produces for the Kharif season substantially. Government buys the agriculture produce from farmers at this price.
The minimum Support prices – MSP – of oilseeds and pulses sharply has been raised by 37 per cent. This is to boost production and reduce the country's dependence on imports. MSP of paddy has gone up from one thousand 80 rupees a quintal to one thousand 250 rupees, a hike of about 16 per cent.
Announcing the decision of the Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs, CCEA, Home Minister P Chidambaram said that the MSP for ongoing Kharif Season has been revised on the suggestion made by the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices.
He said the MSP of urad has been increased by 30 per cent to 4,300 rupees per quintal. The decision on key pulses — Tur and Moong — were deferred.
In the oilseeds category, the support price of soyabean has been fixed at 2,200 rupees per quintal for black and 2,240 rupees for yellow varieties, up by 550 rupees per quintal each. MSP of sunflower seed has been increased by 32 per cent to 3,700 rupees per quintal.
Among coarse cereals, the government has decided to increase MSP of maize and bajra by 195 rupees per quintal. The MSP of ragi and jowar have also been increased.
In another decision, the CCEA brought 22 more districts under the ambit of 5,350 rupees crore worth special grant programme for development of backward regions across the country in the current fiscal. It takes the number of districts under the Backward Regions Grant Fund, BRGF to 272.
It also approved to expand the coverage of Integrated Action Plan from 78 districts to 82 districts with enhanced allocation from 2,340 crore rupees to 2,460 crore rupees. The fund aims to accelerate socio-economic development in backward areas.
The CCEA also approved the extension of duration of the Crime and Criminal Tracking netowork and Systems project, scheduled to end on 31st March of this year, by another three years.
Chidambaram said that funds for the project to the tune of over four hundred eighteen crore rupees have been released to the State and Union Territories. He said about 4 lakh fifty four thousand personnel have been trained under capacity building against a target of about 11 lakh thirty four thousand personnel.
In another decision, CCEA approved the introduction of a new Centrally-sponsored scheme of Pre-Matric Scholarship for SC students studying in classes nineth and tenth.
The Union Cabinet approved the proposal of the Ministry of Defence for mutual exchange of 2.50 acres of land between the Administration of the Union Territory of Chandigarh and Indian Air Force for expansion of Civil Air Terminal at Chandigarh Airport.
