Kolkata, Jan. 29 -- Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday expressed satisfaction over the progress of work under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and the Krishonnoti Yojana (KY) in West Bengal, and agreed to release Rs 220 crore to sustain the momentum.
Chouhan chaired a virtual meeting with agriculture ministers of eight states, including Bengal, to review the status of implementation of various agriculture schemes.
"The Union minister has expressed his utmost satisfaction with the progress of work under RKVY. In the case of KY, barring one area, the progress has also been satisfactory. We explained the reasons for the slow progress in that particular area and assured him that the shortfall would be made up soon. The minister was convinced and assured that Rs 220 crore would be released shortly," State Agriculture Minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said. Following the release of Rs 220 crore, the State Agriculture Department will still be due Rs 88 crore, a senior department official said.
During an earlier meeting with the agriculture ministers of eastern states, Chouhan had remarked that West Bengal could serve as a model state in the agriculture sector. The Krishonnoti Yojana is an umbrella scheme of the Government of India, launched in 2016-17, aimed at holistic development of agriculture and allied sectors. The scheme brings together several missions, including horticulture, food security and organic farming, with the objective of boosting farmers' income, modernising agricultural practices, improving infrastructure and enhancing productivity.
The Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana incentivises states to increase public investment in agriculture and allied sectors. Since 2015-16, the funding pattern under RKVY has been revised to a 60:40 ratio between the Centre and the states. For North-Eastern and Himalayan states, the ratio is 90:10, while Union Territories receive 100 per cent central assistance.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.