Revitalization of Rivers in India Draft Policy - Isha Guru Jaggi Vasudev

Revitalization of Rivers In India
Draft Policy Recommendation
ANNEXURE 16
THE SUCCESS STORY OF MAHARASHTRA’S
HORTICULTURE
Vishwanath Giriraj , IAS 1
Maharashtra Government pioneered the famous Employment Guarantee Act in
1977 whereby it guaranteed work to rural unskilled manual labourers needing
work. Initially, only public works like roads, irrigation tanks, other water conserving
structures and works in the forest department were offered. But it came to notice
that there is scope to increase rural employment opportunities (and small and
marginal farmer’s farmlands, which constitute almost 75% of farm holdings) by
improving their farmlands. This comprises about 85% of the lands in Maharashtra,
where rain-fed, cereal and other crops were slowly becoming unviable and outputs
were unpredictable due to the vagaries of the monsoon.
It was then that the Maharashtra Government introduced the horticulture scheme
(popularly EGS horticulture) in 1990. It was an instant success from the first year.
The scheme envisages financial support to the farmer for three years, 50% in the
first year, 30% in second year, and 20% in the third. The critical inputs like good
quality planting material (QPM), fertilizers, etc. were provided by the agriculture
department and the cost deducted from the farmer’s subsidy. In fact, the planting
material was developed substantially in the nurseries of the four agricultural universities
of the state. The most important feature of the scheme was funds were
released in the second and third year only on basis of the plants’ survival. Thus,
second year releases were made only if there was a 75% survival rate and third year
only if they had a 90% survival rate. All payments were made directly to the farmers’
bank accounts.
The cost norms for each fruit crop were evolved, and it varied from one fruit to
another. Slowly, more varieties were added to the earlier list and the three-year
cost norms were made available. At present the following is the list:
Dryland horticulture: Mango, cashew, bher, sitaphal, tamarind, awala, jack fruit,
kokam, among others.
Irrigated horticulture: coconut, oranges (both santhra and mosambi), chikoo,
pomegranate, grapes, peru, anjir, lime, supari, among others.
1 Additional Chief Secretary (Expenditure) - Department of Finance, Government of Maharashtra
Indian Rivers
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