Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Maharashtra has become the first state to qualify for the second instalment of the Government’s Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana funding after utilising about Rs 260 crore of the Rs 335 crore first instalment, exceeding the 75 per cent utilisation benchmark, an official statement said on July 27.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan chaired the virtual review meeting to assess the utilisation of funds released under the scheme and to consider the issuance of the second instalment to Maharashtra, the statement said, adding that the process for release is being taken up.
Chouhan acknowledged satisfactory progress under the Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture and urged the state to accelerate expenditure on digital agriculture, agriculture extension, the National Horticulture Mission, seeds, oilseeds and agroforestry components. He also suggested that pending liabilities under the Seeds component be booked expeditiously to improve fund utilisation.
Chouhan said Maharashtra’s overall utilisation exceeding the required threshold reflected effective implementation of agricultural development programmes.
The minister emphasised that timely expenditure should always be accompanied by continuous monitoring to ensure that public funds are utilised strictly for the objectives for which they have been sanctioned.
He also appreciated Maharashtra’s performance in generating Farmer IDs and recalled the state’s prompt financial assistance to farmers affected by floods, wherein compensation amounting to around Rs 14,000 crore was transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts within five days.
