Andhra govt targets 40% growth in agricultural productivity

The Andhra Pradesh government has set a target of achieving 40 per cent growth in agricultural productivity in the next five year period besides expanding irrigation infrastructure to cover over 50 lakh acres in the state.

On the policy of privatisation, the new Congress government made it clear that it did not believe in 'privatisation for privatisation's sake', unless the move helped offer better service to consumers. The government said that it was opposed to any privatisation that would lead to a monopoly.

Addressing the newly constituted 12th Assembly on Tuesday, state governor Surjit Singh Barnala said that the government's priority would be the revival of the rural economy. He announced the setting up of an 'Agricultural Technology Mission' under the chairmanship of the chief minister for this purpose.

"Increasing productivity and bringing down cultivation costs would be the focus areas of this mission," Barnala said.

Pointing out at the sluggish agricultural growth in the state for the past 10 years, the governor in his ceremonial address blamed the previous governments in the state and at the Centre for their insensitivity to the needs of the masses.

Democracy has been triumphant as people have taught a lesson to those who were basking in a make-believe world, he said.

In his 50-minute address, the governor was elaborative on the ways, measures and schemes being contemplated to support the debt-ridden farmers of the state like the one-time settlement of arrears, an affordable interest rate regime, remunerative prices, crop insurance packages besides free power for agricultural operations.

Reiterating the priorities, Barnala said that the government was fully committed to complete all the ongoing major irrigation projects in the next five years.

The governor said that the new government is committed to improving facilities for attracting greater investments especially into the BPO sector for boosting the state economy.

While pointing out at the large scale industrial closures, he said the government would do every thing possible to ensure that viable industrial units are encouraged to start operations. He said that necessary assistance will be extended trough an attractive revival package.

According to him, the state government would create new irrigation potential for 40 lakh acres beside stabilisation of 15.54 lakh acres of ayacut. Apart from this, the work on another four major irrigation projects like Ichampally and Polavaram would be initiated, he said.

Barnala in his speech also announced the scrapping of Chandrababu Naidu's favourite Janmabhumi programme, and termed it as a highly centralised scheme.

Reiterating the new government's commitment to decentralisation of powers, the governor also promised that the government would come up with an universal health insurance scheme and a comprehensive education policy.