State may pitch for separate agri budget

The state’s agriculture department is seeking a separate agriculture budget for the state to better manage its resources and funds.

The state’s agriculture department is seeking a separate agriculture budget for the state to better manage its resources and funds. A proposal has been submitted to chief minister Prithviraj Chavan. If accepted, Maharashtra will become the third state after Karnataka and Odisha to have a separate agriculture budget.

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Nearly 60% of the state’s population is dependent on agriculture, but the state budget is rarely agriculture-oriented, said a department official. "A multiplicity of schemes leads to a delay in funds reaching beneficiaries," he added.

There is also the problem of overlapping schemes among various departments. Officials said a single agriculture budget can deal with fund allocation for eight to ten departments and eliminate duplicity of allocation.