The Rs 2,000 crore corpus will be created with NABARD for development and upgradation of rural agriculture markets.
New Delhi: The Union Cabinet Wednesday approved creation of a Rs 2,000-crore Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) for development and upgradation of rural agriculture markets.
The corpus of Rs 2,000 crore will be created with NABARD, an official statement said.
“The CCEA has given its approval for the creation of a corpus of Rs 2000 crore for Agri-Market Infrastructure Fund (AMIF) to be created with NABARD for development and upgradation of agriculture marketing infrastructure in Gramin Agriculture Markets and Regulated Wholesale Markets,” the statement said.
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It further said AMIF will provide the state/UT governments subsidised loans for their proposal for developing marketing infrastructure in 585 Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) and 10,000 villages.
States can access AMIF for innovative integrated market infrastructure projects, including through public private partnerships.
The Modi government should have done this on DAY ONE of its coming to power. But at that time, it got busy with rewarding its faithful voter community, the traders or baniyas. First came their chance by raising the prices of Toor daal up to 200 rupees, then onions went up to 70; similarly other commodities one by one. Vegetable prices have seen a total paradigm shift. The prices are kept ARTIFICIALLY HIGH even in the case of bumper crops. In my locality, green peas are so abundant in supply that you cannot even see the seller sitting behind the mound. YET, even at this peak supply, they have clung to a price of rs.30 a kg, whereas in earlier times they used to go down to rs.20 for “sava kilo”, or 1.25 kilos.
Businesses even in manufacturing took advantage of “friendly” atmosphere. My toothpaste has gone up from 62 to 110, similarly even Gillette blades and the laxative Isabgol of a particular popular brand. EVERY trader and manufacturer of daily-needs has been having a ball under the rule of Mr Modi.
Crop prise increases and loan wavers were just the ruses everyone knew; the REAL SOLUTION was to be in creating efficient and tightly regulated agricultural markets. Which they are doing now — because elections are near!!