Opposition parties picked holes in the implementation of several government programmes, including civil supplies, commercial taxes, excise, transport, home, agriculture and allied sectors and education, during a debate on Demands for grants of 14 departments in the Assembly on Sunday.
Opposition members G. Chinna Reddy, N.V.S.S. Prabhakar, A. Revanth Reddy, R. Ravindra Kumar, S. Rajaiah and others pointed out how irregularities and leakages in various schemes were draining the exchequer. They pointed out how the subsidised rice being supplied at Re.1 a kg on food security cards was being diverted and recycled as fine rice and explained how the commercial taxes revenue was being leaked due to corruption at the check-posts.
Several Opposition members brought to the notice of the House that it was mostly the ruling party activists and leaders that were getting the implements under farm mechanisation scheme being given at 50 per cent subsidy. They were being sold away later to others. They suggested that the government bring down the subsidy so that only genuine farmers could avail themselves of the scheme.
Mr. Chinna Reddy requested the government to allocate Rs.4,250 crore out of Rs.4,675 crore kept at the disposal of the Chief Minister as special development fund for implementing one-time-settlement of crop loan waiver scheme so that farmers could be relieved of debt burden. He suggested appointment of one agriculture extension officer per every 1,000 farmers as per Swaminathan Commission recommendations.
Minister for Agriculture Pocharam Srinivas Reddy said it was in the Centre’s hand to change the crop insurance policy to make it suitable to farmers by taking farmer as a unit and fixing the minimum support price based on the recommendations of the Swaminathan Commission to overcome the crisis in the agriculture sector since the State Government was taking up other programmes to help farmers such as soil testing, micro irrigation, and poly house cultivation.
Later, the House passed the Demands with a voice vote after the Ministers concerned assured the members of clarifying their doubts, still if any, on meeting individually.
