Assam gets Rs 102 crore under Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana

Guwahati, Mar 30 (UNI) The Centre has earmarked an amount of Rs 102.89 crore for Assam under the Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for the year 2008-09, with the major allocation made for buying tractors and irrigation.

While informing this at a press conference here today, State Agriculture Minister Pramila Rani Brahma said that the Centre has also sent a guideline for implementation of the RKVY funds to all states, including Assam.

Ms Brahma said the Centre has framed its own guidelines and has made financial allocations, and the states' individual proposals were not considered this year as was done on other previous occasions.

Replying to a question on allocation under RKVY, Ms Brahma said Rs 525.26 lakh has been earmarked for buying tractors and Rs 388 lakh for irrigation facilities.

She also informed that the state would procure and distribute 873 tractors and 7,403 power tillers this year. Of the total 13 cold storages under construction, 10 have already been completed. ''When all the cold storages are ready, they would have a cumulative capacity of 61.420 metric tonnes.

On charges that the rice production in the state has gone down, the minister pointed out that heavy siltation caused by recurring floods has rendered several acres of agricultural land unusable.

The department is exploring cultivation of other crops in these lands, she added.

The minister said rice cultivation was not very popular among farmers of upper Assam and the agriculture department was trying to encourage more farmers in these areas to take up rice cultivation.

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