Rs 259 cr allocated for AIDS prevention programmes

NUTS & BOLTS

The Budget pushes the need for an accelerated AIDS prevention programme. It envisages bold efforts to achieve zero level growth in HIV and AIDS.

Improved surveillance includes the use of primary health centres to monitor HIV/AIDS, public awareness campaigns and promotion of safe sex. The allocation for prevention and control of HIV/AIDS is Rs 259 crore.

Driving irrigation
The Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) is being restructured.

Last-mile projects, which can be completed by March 2005, will be given priority, and other projects, which can be completed by March 2006, will also be taken up in the current year.

A sum of Rs 2,800 crore has been allocated for the AIBP this year. The irrigation programme which was introduced in 1996-97 was allotted large funds, yet out of 178 large and medium irrigation projects only 28 were completed.

Reviving RIDF
The Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) to be revived with a a corpus of Rs 8,000 crore during 2004-05. The RIDF, which was established in NABARD in 1994-95, was supposed to have been closed down and a decision to this effect was taken five months back.

Operation water
The government will launch a massive scheme to repair, renovate and restore water bodies, which are directly linked to agriculture.

In the current year, pilot projects in five districts to be launched at an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore. It has been estimated that there are more than a million such structures and 500,000 are used for irrigation.

Funds for the five pilot projects will be drawn from different existing programmes. Once the pilot project on water is successful, the government will launch the National Water Resources Development Project, which will complete the repair and restoration of water bodies over a period of 7-10 years.

This will augment the storage capacity of these water bodies by at least 100 per cent.

Water harvesting
The government will launch a nationwide water harvesting scheme for scheduled castes and tribes . The scheme will cover 100,000 irrigation units at an average cost of Rs 20,000.

NABARD will lend the money on easy terms and no margin money will be charged from the borrower. The government will provide a 50 per cent capital subsidy through NABARD. The estimate for the scheme is Rs 100 crore.

Flood control measures
A programme for flood control and anti-erosion to be launched. A similar programme is being implemented in the Ganga basin, Uttranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Rs 30 crore has been allotted in the current year. Additional funds will be provided to keep pace with the progress of the project.

Horticulture mission
The government will launch a National Horticulture Mission, with the goal of doubling horticulture production from the current level of 150 million tonnes to 300 million tonnes by 2011-12.

One of the steps the states will be encouraged to take is to emulate the Anand model and establish a state level co-operative society for promoting agriculture.

Oilseed promotion
The government to facilitate farmers to diversify into oil seeds by promoting superior seed technology and through a policy of price support. This will reduce India's dependence on edible oil imports.

Model law
The government wants India to become single market for all agricultural products. The existing Acts governing agricultural produce and marketing committees have outlived their utility. The government has suggested a model law and is urging states to adopt it.

More funds for agriculture R&D
The allocation for agricultural research and development increased from Rs 775 crore to Rs 1,000 crore.

The government urges agriculture research should be expanded rapidly to new frontiers such as bio-technology, vaccines and diagnostics. It urges special focus on farming in drylands and unirrigated areas.

Boost to small farmers
The government will provide additional capital for The Small Farmers Agri-business Consortium (SFAC). The SFAC provides venture capital to projects in agri-business. The SFAC corpus stands at a meagre Rs 10.95 crore currently.

Insurance for Kharif crop
The pilot scheme insuring farm income (as opposed to crop) has been extended to Kharif 2004 in order to assess its feasibility. The scheme is being introduced on a trial basis in 20 rain gauge stations in the current crop season.

The Agriculture Insurance Company (AIC) is redesigning the national agriculture insurance scheme that insures the yield or crop. The scheme will continue but will be evaluated.

Rs 40,000 cr for power sector
The Inter-Institutional Group (IIG) in the power sector has succeeded in bringing six power projects to financial closure. Another 10 projects are on the verge of achieving financial closure.

The IIG, comprising IDBI, IDFC, ICICI Bank, SBI, LIC,Bank of Baroda and Punjab National Bank, will pool their resources and a sum of Rs 40,000 crore will be made available where necessary.

Funds for water schemes
The government will bring all the drinking water schemes under the umbrella of the Rajiv Gandhi Drinking Water Mission.

The Accelerated Rural Water Supply Progamme (ARWSP) has been allocated Rs 2,610 crore in the current year. It will focus on the renewal of water sources and serving uncovered and partially covered habitation.

Likewise, a provision of Rs 151.25 crore has been made to the urban water supply programme. Nearly 2,151 towns qualify for consideration under the programme.

The government also proposes to install the first large desalination plant with an investment of Rs 1,000 crore near Chennai in the state sector.

New canal project
The techno-economic feasibility of Sethusamudram Ship Canal Project to be submitted soon.

The ministry of shipping will set up a special purpose vehicle to raise funds for the project and the government will participate in the funding through a mix of equity support and debt guarantee.

New container terminal
The government will facilitate the construction of International Container Trans-shipment Terminal (ICTT) at Vallarpadam in Kochi on built, operate and transfer basis to take on competition from international ports like Colombo and Dubai.

More money for rural housing
Allocation in Indira Awas Yojana raised from Rs 1,710 crore to Rs 2,247 crore. To give a stimulus to the Golden Jubilee Rural Housing Finance Scheme, the National Housing Bank will reduce the rate of re-finance by 25 basis points this year.

Boost to traditional industry
To encourage traditional industries, the government will launch a Fund for the Regeneration of Traditional Industries like coir, handicraft, sericulture, leather etc. with an initial allocation of Rs100 crore.

The details, including mechanism for utilisation of the fund will be worked out in consultation with the industries concerned.