New Delhi: Claiming that the United Progressive Alliance Government has given "focussed attention" to farmers, Minister for External Affairs Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said the plan outlay for the agriculture sector was hiked 300 per cent between 2003-04 and 2008-09.
Presenting the interim budget for 2009-10 in parliament, Mukherjee said the agriculture credit disbursement has also gone up to Rs 2,50,000 crore last fiscal from Rs 87,000 crore in 2003-04.
The Government is implementing agriculture revival packages involving financial assistance worth Rs 13,500 crore in 25 states to strengthen short-term credit structure, he added.
In 2009-10, the Government will provide interest subvention to ensure that farmers get short-term crop loans up to Rs 3 crore at seven per cent interest per annum, Mukherjee said.
The Agricultural Debt Waiver and Debt Relief Scheme, announced in the 2008 budget speech, "has been able to restore institutional credit to indebted farmers", the minister told Parliament.
"As per early reports, the total debt waiver and debt relief so far, amounts to Rs 65,300 crore, covering 3.6 crore farmers," he added.
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