The Union government is planning to introduce a separate agriculture Budget like the railway Budget during the budget session of the Assembly. According to the Union agriculture ministry, this will allow the government to assess the gross domestic production of the country in a better way.
“Most of the states like Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka adopted a separate agriculture Budget when they learned about the Union government’s exercise,” Charandas Mahant, union agriculture minister of state, told Business Standard here. “At the Centre, we are planning to present a separate agriculture Budget each year and a comprehensive survey of agriculture like the Economic Survey presented in Loksabha before the full Budget.”
States like Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka have already decided to present separate agriculture Budget this year. These states will also present a comprehensive agriculture survey before the Budget. Madhya Pradesh has already formed a separate "agriculture cabinet" that has six cabinet rank ministers in it, said Mahant.
"The Union agriculture Budget will include four parts — allocation for rabi and kharif crop promotion schemes, allocation for fertilisers and administrative mechanism, allocation for research and development and funds for horticulture,” said the minister.
The agriculture survey, to be presented before the agriculture Budget will cover kharif and rabi scenario, availability of fertilisers, data on arable land and irrigation facilities.
Though Mahant did not disclose when the plan will take shape but he said, "It would be probably presented in the next Budget session."
