Bhubaneswar: Finance Minister Niranjan Pujari on Friday presented a Rs 20,714 crore separate agriculture budget for 2019-20 financial year in the Odisha Assembly. This was the first budget of the Naveen Patnaik Government after it voted to power for fifth consecutive term.
Last year Rs 16,765 crore was provided in the farm budget. Odisha has been presenting separate agriculture budget since 2013-14. Rs 7,162 crore was provided in the first farm budget.
Of the total expenditure of Rs 20,714 crore, the Finance Minister allocated Rs 5611 crore for the KALIA scheme, Rs 1,777 crore for Parvati Giri Mega Lift Irrigation Scheme and Rs 146 crore for Nabakrushna Chaudhury Secha Unayana Yojana.
The Minister said that Rs 100 crore was earmarked for Gangadhar Meher Lift Canal system.
He further announced interest-free crop loan up to Rs 1 lakh and earmarked Rs 800 crore for the purpose.
While Rs 540 crore was allocated for completion of 20,000 deep bore wells, Pujari said the State Government has set a target to set up 1000 community lift irrigation points at a cost of Rs 400 crore.
