Bihar Agriculture minister Ram Vichar Rai today told the Legislative Council that the state is expected to witness a record production of paddy and wheat, despite slashing of funds by the Centre.
He said the Centre slashed its funds with regard to Centrally sponsored schemes relating to agriculture besides getting meagre amount of Rs 80 crore out of Rs 3094 crore as announced by the Prime Minister for agriculture package.
The department has made significant achievements due to successful implementation of agriculture roadmaps - first, from 2008 to 2012, and then again from 2012 to 2017, Rai said while giving government's reply after the conclusion of the debate in the Council on his department's Rs 2644.74 crore budget demand for 2017-18.
The government is preparing to roll out the "third agriculture roadmap for 2017-2022," the minister said.
The NDA later boycotted government's reply terming it unsatisfactory.
Rai said that the Centre slashed funds for schemes relating to agriculture and the state got only Rs 80 crore in two years out of Rs 3094 crore announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the agriculture package.
The Centre has reduced its share up to 60 per cent from 100 per cent in Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana and Rashtriya Khadya Suraksha 6Mission Yojana in 2015-16, he said.
The Centre also reduced to 60 per cent from its earlier share of 85 per cent in the Rashtriya Bagwani Mission Yojana, Rai said.
The government has also decided to provide diesel subsidy to vegetable growers to support irrigation needs on the lines of paddy and wheat farmers.
Those who participated in the debate on budgetary demand of agriculture department included- former CM Rabri Devi, former Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi, members Ramchandra Bharti (Cong), Vinod Narayan Jha (BJP), C P Sinha, Hira Bind Veena Yadav, Neeraj Kumar (all JD(U).
Council Deputy chairman Haroon Rashid greeted the members and the people of the state on the occasion of Holi before adjourning the Upper House till March 15, 2015.
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