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The Tamil Nadu Government will balance the interests of the farmers and consumers while fixing the support price for agriculture commodities and ensure industrial development is not at the cost of agriculture, said the Finance Minister, Mr O. Panneerselvam.
Replying to the debate on the State Government Budget for 2011-12, the Minister said the Government is keen on ensuring remunerative prices for farmers' produce. But it also has to ensure that consumers are not affected by increasing prices. Along the lines of the Civil Supplies Corporation procuring paddy at Rs 1,110 and Rs 1,180 a quintal depending on the quality, the State Government will take steps to procure pulses through cooperative societies and civil supplies corporation.
The organisations will procure pulses from farmers at the support prices fixed by the Centre at Rs 3,500 a quintal for green gram, Rs 3,300 for urad and Rs 3,200 for toor.
The State Government will also pay special attention to the implementation of agriculture development schemes. The proposed policy for land acquisition for industrial use will be framed with extra care to ensure farmers and land owners are not affected, Mr Panneerselvam assured the Assembly.
On the financial condition, the Government will judiciously manage its resources to ensure adequate development measures. The Rs 8,900-crore new schemes announced in the Budget was just a precursor of what is to come as each sector is taken up in the ongoing Budget session, he said.
Mounting debts
The Government has come to power at a time when the State is facing a severe financial constraint with mounting debts and public sector enterprises in a precarious financial condition. The State's debt is Rs 1,01,349 crore and the total losses in the 49 public sector enterprises and nine boards were Rs 32,273 crore against Rs 8,023 crore five years back.
The State Government will have to go in for borrowings of Rs 17,261 crore for 2011-12 to garner resources for capital expenditure. But this level of debt will come down in stages through judicious management and the increased revenue with growth in economy once the development schemes are in place, he said.
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