Rajasthan's expenditure on agriculture and allied services is one of the lowest in the country. According to a CMIE report, Rajasthan's per capita expenditure on agriculture was just Rs 105 in 2001-02 and the state was ranked 16th.
The government expenditure, revenue and capital, on agriculture and allied services in 2001-02 was Rs 595 crore and the state occupied 13th position among major states. Maharashtra was ranked first, followed by Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh.
According to farm experts, the state government needs to increase capital expenditure on agriculture and allied services. In Rajasthan, 70 per cent of its population is engaged in the farm sector. "Agriculture has emerged as the backbone of the state's economy. Around 28 to 39 per cent of the net state domestic product is generated by the agriculture and allied sector," they say. The expenditure, revenue and capital, on irrigation and flood control was Rs 1,238 crore in 2001-02.
In terms of per capita expenditure on irrigation and flood control, the state occupied eighth position in 2001-02, the report said. While Rajasthan occupies around 10 per cent of the total land area of the country, water availability in the state is only 1.16 per cent. The total irrigation potential created in the state by March 2001 was 1.6 million hectares (excluding IGNP).
