Karnataka Establishes 3-tier System for Action Plan on Agro Investments
From Our Special Corresondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Dec 2: Karnataka has established a comprehensive three-tier system for preparing an action plan for executing investment project proposals worth Rs. 60,531.50 crore that have been signed in different fields of agriculture at the global maiden Agribusiness and Food Processing Summit-2011.
The two-day global meet, which concluded on Friday, witnessed as many as 42 companies coming forward to sign MoUs with total investment of Rs. 60,531.50 crore in agribusiness, food
processing, agri-infrastructure and horticulture and sericulture.
As the lead financier, the State Bank of India (SBI), signed an agreement with the State Government for funding Rs.40,000 crore for agri-business projects while Bank of India signed the pact for lending of Rs. 10,000 crore.
Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who presided over the concluding session of the summit held at the Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC), said Karnataka State Agricultural Produce Processing and Export Corporation (KAPPEC) in consultation with Mahidra
Consulting Engineers Limited will prepare the action plan in the next one year.
Simultaneously, another high level panel headed by Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner of the Government will review the progress of the projects once in 15 days.
He said a Cabinet sub-committee headed by the Chief Minister would monitor the progress and implementation of the projects once in three months.
Union Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily was the guest of honour at the summit while former chief minister B S Yeddyurpapa, who took pride in being the first chief minister to present an exclusive agri budget, was the chief guest.
Sadananda Gowda said MoUs worth Rs. 35,488 crore have been signed for developing agri-infrastructure and regions, Rs. 3845 crore for agri and horti engineering services, Rs. 2506 crore for animal husbandry sector, Rs. 1,575 crore for the fisheries sector, Rs. 9,635 crore for food processing sector and Rs. 1,923 crore for setting up of knowledge hubs in the field of agriculture and related sectors.
The summit opened a new chapter for prosperity of the farming community and 2,000 delegates participated in it during the two-day show. “I am happy to note that we have had two days of successful deliberations and discussions with particular focus on the agriculture, infrastructure sector, horticulture, fisheries, sericulture, animal husbandry and food processing,” he said.
''This is a great step forward to ensure mutual benefits to the enterprises as well as to the farmers in my State,” the chief Minister said.
The Government was seriously implementing various programmes to increase the area, production and productivity of various crops, he said it was important to have backward and forward linkages with the processing, mechanisation and infrastructure industries to bring in a much larger value addition to the produce.
''The focus resulting from the Global Agri Meet aims at providing effective linkages and up graded technology for the farmers to move towards higher production and productivity,” he added.