Incentive scheme for MP Crop Diversification

The State Cabinet here on Tuesday decided to implement incentive scheme for crop diversification in Madhya Pradesh in view of the increase in the area and production of wheat and paddy in the state, increase in the cost of procurement on support price and environmental imbalance in the state due to the above crops.

According to the proposal of the Crop Diversification Scheme, the proposals received from the applicant company/institution after being examined by the Director, Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development will be granted approval by the Cabinet Committee for Investment Promotion (CCIP) after the recommendation of the State Level Project Screening Committee headed by the Chief Secretary. The implementation, monitoring of the proposals approved in the scheme will be carried out by the Director, Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development. The scheme will cover non-MSP crops sown in place of wheat and paddy.

This will reduce the dependence on chemical fertilizers in the state and environmental protection, biodiversity and sustainable farming will be possible. Along with this, there will be reduction in procurement on support price and dependence on import of pulses and oilseeds will be reduced.

Decision was taken to constitute the ‘Madhya Pradesh Natural Agriculture Development Board’ as an independent organization with the financial assistance of the state government in order to increase the spread of natural agriculture in the state and to provide encouragement and cooperation to the farmers with constant guidance. An apex body headed by the Chief Minister and a task force under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary will be constituted at the state level for monitoring and review of the Madhya Pradesh Natural Agriculture Development Board. Additional Chief Secretary, Farmers Welfare and Agriculture Development Department will be the State Project Director of Madhya Pradesh Natural Agriculture Development Board and Director Agriculture will be the Executive Director.

Bhopal will be the headquarters of Madhya Pradesh Natural Agriculture Development Board. At the district level, the scheme will be implemented by the District Project Director, Aatma, under the direction of the Aatma Governing Board, chaired by the Collector. Approval was given to create 17 posts in the board. There will be a financial burden of about Rs 5 crore per annum for the salary, allowances and other administrative expenses etc. of the staff of the Board.

Decision was taken to implement new schemes namely Sant Ravidas Swarozgar Yojana, Bhimrao Ambedkar Economic Welfare Scheme and Mukhya Mantri Jati Vishesh Pariyojana Vitta Poshan Yojana through the State Co-operative Scheduled Caste Finance and Development corporation under Scheduled Caste Welfare Department to make Madhya Pradesh State Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation Limited Bhopal more useful and active and to provide more opportunities for self-employment to the youth of the Scheduled Castes category under the Department of Scheduled Caste Welfare.

Under the Sant Ravidas Swarozgar Yojana, projects ranging from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 50 lakh will be sanctioned for manufacturing activities and Rs 1 lakh to Rs 25 lakh for service/ business. Interest subsidy will be given on the loan at the rate of 5 percent per annum. The Corporation will bear the Bank Loan Guarantee Fee at the prevailing rate for a maximum period of 7 years. The annual income of the family for this scheme should not exceed Rs.12 lakhs. The facility of training will be made available to the interested candidates. An expenditure of Rs 209 crore 40 lakh is likely in the scheme in 5 years.

Under Bhimrao Ambedkar Economic Welfare Scheme, projects ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 1 lakh will be sanctioned for all types of self-employment activities.

Interest subsidy will be given on the loan at the rate of 7 percent per annum. In addition, the corporation will bear the bank loan guarantee fee at the prevailing rate for a maximum period of 5 years.

Under the Chief Minister’s Scheduled Caste Special Project Financing Scheme, projects up to a maximum of Rs 2 crore can be approved on the proposals received from various line departments/corporations/district collectors. Based on the recommendation of the committee constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, the said amount will be given as a grant. In the scheme, it will be mandatory for at least three-fourth of the beneficiaries to be from the Scheduled Caste Category.

Rationalization

In addition to the services currently being provided by the Madhya Pradesh Public Health Services Corporation, formed for the purchase of quality medicines, materials, equipment in the state, the Cabinet has granted approval for rationalization of the approved staff for the Corporation to make services like CT scan, dialysis etc. available to the citizens of the state on PPP model.

Creation of new posts

The Cabinet granted administrative approval for the creation of total 69 new posts including upgradation of one pre-approved post of Accounts Officer in Nursing College, Indore in the pay scale of 15600-39100+5400 GP and one post of Finance Officer (Deputy Director) in the pay scale 15600-39100+6600 GP and 19 posts of Finance Officer (Assistant Director) in the pay scale 15600-39100+5400 GP, one post of Deputy Registrar on fixed pay scale, 7 posts of hospital manager, 23 posts of hospital assistant manager and 18 posts of biomedical engineer.