Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture appreciates Haryana agriculture policies

 by Haryananewswire (Balbir)

CHANDIGARH, JUNE 15

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture has appreciated the agricultural policies of Haryana and has decided to recommend to the Central Government that these be implemented in the entire country.

          A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the 15-member Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture presided over by MP Mr Vasudev Acharya here today.

          It was also disclosed in the meeting that Haryana Government would set up a television channel on agriculture at State level, which would be run by Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board.

          The members of the Committee reviewed the agricultural policies of Haryana threadbare and were all praise for farmer-friendly policies of the State Government. 

          While appreciating the abolition of the black law by Haryana Government under which the farmers used to be jailed for not paying their agricultural loan, the Committee observed that Haryana is the only State where such a loan has been abolished to maintain dignity of the farmers. The Committee recommended implementation of this farmer-friendly policy in other States too. Apart from this, the Committee also appreciated the decision of the Haryana Government not to auction the land of the farmers for not paying loans of cooperative banks and land development bank. The Committee observed that this scheme would be worth implementation by other States. The members of the Committee also decided to make the recommendation in this regard too. 

          The Committee also appreciated that in Haryana, the rate of interest on long term loans of cooperative banks was reduced from 10 per cent to five per cent. It may be recalled that it was Haryana Government, which first reduced the rate of interest on short term cooperative agricultural loans from 11 to four per cent and later on this decision was implemented in the entire country.

          While reviewing the agricultural policies of Haryana Government, the members of the Committee appreciated that during last seven years, the farmers in Haryana got the maximum minimum support price for sugarcane and this was highly appreciable. In addition, the members of the Committee were all praise for the sugarmills in the State for making payment to cane growers on time. It was informed in the meeting that during last year, the Government of Uttar Pradesh had, in view of the elections, enhanced the price of sugarcane, but most of the farmers were yet to get their payment.

          The members also appreciated the decision of the State Government to set up an international market of agricultural produce at Kundli in district Sonepat, saying that it would be very useful for the farmers. The members of the Committee said that they would inspire the Governments of their respective States to open their counters in this international market.