Rs 5,000 crore Krushi Samruddhi scheme remains on paper

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:

The state agriculture department had last year announced the Krushi Samruddhi scheme, on the lines of the Pocra (Nanaji Deshmukh Krushi Sanjeevani) scheme, to extend benefits of various initiatives to farmers. An annual allocation of Rs 5,000 crore was announced for the scheme. However, as the financial year draws to a close, not a single rupee has been released, indicating that the scheme remains only on paper.

Meanwhile, the second phase of the Nanaji Deshmukh Krushi Sanjeevani (Pocra) scheme has begun in the state. Various initiatives are being implemented for farmers in selected villages under this five-year programme, with a separate budget provision. After the benefits of Phase 1 became evident, MLAs from across constituencies had demanded inclusion of all villages in Phase 2. In response, the government announced the Krushi Samruddhi scheme for farmers in villages not covered under Pocra. It was declared in the legislature that the scheme would run for five years with an annual allocation of Rs 5,000 crore. However, till March 30, just a day before the end of the financial year on March 31, no funds had been released, sources said.

Key provisions

As per the government resolution, subsidies were to be provided through the MahaDBT system for both individual and group investments, including micro-irrigation, farm equipment banks on a rental basis, agricultural mechanisation, value chain development, organic and natural farming, storage centres, food processing projects, and farmer training programmes. The scheme was to be implemented from 2025–26, but with no funds released so far, it remains confined to paper, sources added.