Govt to provide subsidy for increasing paddy production:CM

Thiruvananthapuram, July 18 (UNI) By providing subsidy and loan at low interest rates to paddy cultivation the government was intended to increase the paddy production by 50 per cent, Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan today said.

Inaugurating loan-mela to paddy cultivators, organised under the joint auspices of cooperative and agriculture departments, he said, wonders could be created in the agriculture sector, if both the departments worked together.

The agriculture sector, which was facing serious crisis, had achieved a new lease of life with the hard work during the past one year, he said and added that it could also be helped to check farmer's suicide to an extent.

Stating that a sum of Rs 165 had been earmarked for agriculture relief package, Mr Achuthanandan said the government had already implemented Vidarbha model package in three districts and Employment Guarantee Scheme in other five districts.

Claiming that Kerala was the first state providing loan for paddy cultivation at the lowest rate of four per cent, he said by providing relaxation in interest rate, it could be possible to make paddy procurement more effective.

UNI