Hindutva, Hindunasjonalisme og Bharatiya Janata Party En ...

farm technologies, soil enrichment, and commercialization of
everything that grows on arid lands, including weeds and wild plants.
8) Adequate supply of quality power will be ensured to all
farmers by 2009.
9) Wasteland development for agriculture, horticulture, afforestation,
bio-mass production, cultivation of bamboo and bio-fuels, and other
productive uses will be taken up on a mission mode. All programs,
currently under different ministries, will be brought under a single
agency. The National Wasteland Development Board will be reactivated
to put at least 25 million hectares of wasteland to productive use
by 2009 that is, by doubling the rate of coverage under all the existing
programs. The Centre will draw up a model law for better management
of land and other natural resources through community participation,
private investments, corporate-cooperative collaboration, and by
making landless laborers, small farmers, ex-servicemen, and
unemployed youth partners in every initiative for wasteland
development. The model law will be commended to State Governments
to pass similar legislations and set up suitably empowered authorities
to implement this important mission.
10) Organic farming will be promoted to reverse soil degradation
produce "natural" foods that are becoming popular the world over.
Fiscal and other forms of support will be given for production of biofertilizers
and bio-pesticides.
11) Leasing in and leasing out of lands within farmers would be
permitted through enabling legislation.
12) With the cooperation of the State governments, all revenue
records and land transfer systems will be computerized and linked to a
Geographical Information System.
Finance and Insurance
1) Greater Plan Funds shall be earmarked for agriculture, irrigation,
rural development and allied areas.
2) A Task Force will be set up to recommend, within the first six
months, policy and institutional measures to promote private sector
investment in agriculture, especially in small and medium-scale
irrigation projects, farm R&D, human resource development, postharvest
management, and marketing. Public and private investments,
as well as investments by farmers themselves, will be synergized
through partnerships. It needs to be underscored that private
investment in agriculture does not mean corporate farming.
3) Timely and adequate farm credit to kisans is as important as timely
and adequate water for his crops. Therefore, steps will be taken to
ensure enhanced credit flow to the sector, make credit affordable at
interests lower than prime lending rates (PLR), eliminate procedural
delays, and introduce greater competition in credit delivery. The
process of giving all eligible farmers a Kisan Credit Card will be
completed before August 15, 2004. Card-holders will be able to use
ATM facility wherever it exists. Our aim will be to create a welldeveloped
farm credit system, which will end the need for farmers to
go to money lenders.
4) Projects under the newly announced Loknayak Jaiprakash
Narayan Fund of Rs. 50,000 crore for agriculture infrastructure and
credit will be given fast-track clearance.
5) The Government will give priority attention to strengthening
cooperative banks and other cooperative credit institutions. The Rs.
15,000-crore fund announced for this purpose in the interim budget
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