Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications
Tuesday, Jan 28, 2003
Financial Daily from THE HINDU group of publications Tuesday, Jan 28, 2003 |
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Industry & Economy
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Rural Development TN Govt to focus on rural economy Our Bureau
CHENNAI, Jan. 27 WASTELAND development and water-related issues are key areas of focus to ensure development in rural non-farm sector and rural economy, according to the Tamil Nadu Finance Secretary, Mr N. Narayanan. The Government hopes to boost rural non-farm sector to augment rural economy through the new Anna Marumalarchi Thittam, which aims to encourage establishing an agro-based industrial unit in each of the 385 blocks in the State. Wastelands offer a major potential and the State Government has initiated the process of locating current fallow and permanent fallow lands and identify the factors that have affected their productive exploitation. The objective would be to adopt an agri-clinical approach to tackle such issues. Agencies concerned will have to look at water-related issues in holistic manner through a watershed approach. The whole basin will have to be developed rather than niches within the area. Mr Narayanan was addressing the State-level credit seminar organised by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) here on Monday. The Chief Secretary, Ms Lakshmi Pranesh, said the Government was looking to broad-base agriculture production and productivity through appropriate technological changes. It is targeting a projected growth of four per cent in agriculture during the Tenth Plan period. The needs of emerging sectors such as agri-business, information technology and biotechnology needs to be addressed to ensure growth. Accelerating investments, minimising costs, optimising production efficiency key to tapping international markets, and these offer new investment opportunities, she said. The Tamil Nadu Government was utilising the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund to strengthen infrastructure. Over Rs 1700 crore investment is expected to materialise through this fund credit during the Tenth Plan. Tamil Nadu has taken up Rs 2,900 crore Water Resources Consolidation Project-II, and has submitted this to the World Bank for funding, she said. The Chief General Manager of Nabard, Mr C.R. Patnaik, said that there was abundant scope for developing the rural economy in Tamil Nadu. Field level functionaries will have to be made aware of activity-specific, sector-specific and region-specific credit potential, the scope for credit and the methods to harness the potential. The Government will have to focus on large-scale infrastructure and services sector support for growth in capital formation in agricultural and non-farm sectors.
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