CEOSPEAK: Ajay S Shriram, Chairman and Senior MD, DCM Shriram Consolidated Limited
VALUE IN VILLAGES
The government should focus on improving rural infrastructure in terms of road, warehouses and cold chains. Farmers need warehouses to store their produce after harvesting and roads to market the produce. Credit should be provided to farmers on a priority basis and in time. Special focus should be given to expand the area under irrigation (from the current 39 per cent) to avoid the vagaries of the monsoon. A policy on wasteland utilisation on lease basis should be brought in-this will ensure green cover and rural employment.
Chamber-Speak
FICCI
The private sector can play a crucial role and be encouraged by way of weighted deduction for investments in agri-infrastructure, agri-R&D and extension services, granting infrastructure status to cold chain establishments and including investments for agri-market infrastructure in the direct finance category of priority lending norms for banks.
CII
The Government should look at creating a common market for agricultural produce. We should also move towards deregulating the fertiliser sector. This move will help in encouraging domestic investments. We should also look at uniform implementation of model APMC Act.
