Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayana Reddy held a meeting with Ministers and officials belonging to agriculture and allied ministries to seek feedback on the proposed exclusive Budget for Agriculture.

“We have taken the opinion and suggestions of top officials of the Ministries. We have discussed various issues that hold the key,” Kanna Lakshminarayana, Minister for Agriculture, said after the meeting here on Saturday.

The State would constitute a coordination committee with the Ministers and top officials of Agriculture and allied Ministries. “This committee will meet every three months to sort out issues that might crop up in implementing the exclusive budget for the primary sector,” Lakshminarayana said.

An exclusive Budget would mean better understanding and planning among the allied Ministries, the Minister said.

Andhra Pradesh would join Karnataka in introducing a separate budget for agriculture, promising better focus on the issues that dogged this crucial sector.

Several non-governmental organisations and farmers’ associations have stepped up their demand in the last few months demanding that the State Government to come out with the Budget for the sector. The State has agreed and would introduce the Budget for this sector for the financial year 2013-14.

> kurmanath.kanchi@thehindu.co.in

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