New Delhi: Shobha Karandlaje, the Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, briefed the media today about the release of Rs. 235.14 crores by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, to the Government of Karnataka on 15th February 2024, as the 3rd installment under the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) for the fiscal year 2023-24.
The State Government will employ this amount to implement various components of the RKVY scheme, including Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Soil Health and Fertility, Rainfed Area Development, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana, Sub Mission on Agriculture Mechanization, Per Drop More Crop, Agro Forestry, and Crop Diversification Programme. These funds will be allocated towards enhancing agriculture infrastructure such as constructing godowns, water harvesting structures, establishing primary demonstration units, procuring tractors, power tillers, and drones, promoting integrated farming, improving soil health and fertility, and setting up custom hiring centers.
Additionally, Karandlaje highlighted that the Government of India has allotted a total of Rs. 761.89 crore for the year 2023-24 to Karnataka under the RKVY for the welfare of farmers. Furthermore, an extra allocation of Rs. 178.65 crores was granted on 25th January 2024, for the implementation of SMAM, Soil Health Card, and RKVY – DPR. This increased the initial allocation of Rs. 583.24 crores to Rs. 761.89 crores for the fiscal year 2023-24.
As of now, the Central Government has disbursed Rs. 526.75 crores out of the total allocation, and the remaining balance will be released upon the utilization of the previously released funds. Additionally, Karandlaje mentioned that on 15th February 2024, the Government of India approved the procurement of Bengal Gram (Channa) in Karnataka under the Price Support Scheme (PSS) at MSP of Rs. 5440 per quintal for a maximum quantity of 1,39,740 MTs for the Rabi 2023-24 season.