Date:01/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/01/stories/2005040107870400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Cabinet nod for Jayati Ghosh panel report

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, MARCH 31. The Council of Ministers, which met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister, Y.S.Rajasekhara Reddy, formally approved the report of the `Commission on Farmers Welfare' chaired by Jayati Ghosh, Professor and Chairperson of the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning.

Comprehensive report

The Commission, which had gone into the reasons for the distress of farmers in the State resulting in a large number of suicide deaths, had set about the task to propose a redressal mechanism, recommend measures to strengthen the farm sector and suggest modalities for constitution of an Agriculture Technology Mission.

The Commission visited Anantapur, Warangal, Mahabubnagar, Guntur, Chittoor and Srikakulam districts last year between September 10 and December 6 and held discussions with various organisations and officials and submitted a report to the Chief Minister on December 11. The Commission interacted with farmers and the families of suicide victims too.

Several recommendations relating to land, rural credit, water, irrigation and power, extension services and provision of inputs and minimum support price were given a green signal at this morning's meeting.

Agreeing with the concerns expressed by the report, the Cabinet stressed the need to strengthen the agricultural extension services to help farmers.

Inputs critical

The Commission felt that unless a comprehensive programme involving farming, nutrition, health and education was evolved, the lot of farmers would not improve. Another major concern voiced by the Commission was the absence of curbs on private money lending operations.

The Cabinet, which discussed the merits of the recommendations, agreed with the Commission that productivity levels were the key to improving the lot of the farmers.

Unless quality inputs were given to the farm community, improving the productivity levels would not be possible, it felt.

Later speaking to The Hindu, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy said a majority of the recommendations would be implemented at the earliest. Extension services were the key to the health of the farm sector and this area would be given special attention.

He said clubbing the allied sectors' activity with the farm sector was one of the key recommendations that the Council decided to put in place at the earliest. The Commission's report was later tabled in the Assembly.