National Food Security Mission & Additional Central Assistance Scheme approved by Cabinet

A DAY after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh announced a special deal for the agriculture sector in his Independence Day speech, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA)approved two programmes a National Food Security Mission and a new scheme to provide additional assistance to states.

The launch of the Food Security Mission, expected to cost around Rs 5,000 crore was agreed upon in the last meeting of the Natinal Development Council in May where it was decided that the production of rice, wheat and pulses should be enhanced by 10, eight and two million tonnes respectively by 2011.
The Agriculture Ministry has already identified the districts that will be covered under the mission. For pulses, it is also proposed that an additional 20 per cent cropped area would be created.

As for the Addition Central Assistance Scheme, states would have to draw up comprehensive district-wise and state-level plans to seek funds that would be provided as 100 per cent grant by th Centre. The CCEA also cleared an outlay of Rs 1,500 crore for the scheme for 2007-08 along with an allocation of Rs 25,000 crore for five years. Finance Minister P Chidambaram, who announced the decisions after the CCEA’s meeting said, “We hope that the states will avail the benefits of the Additional Central Assistance Scheme and will also assist the Centre in implementing the Food Security Mission.”

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