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Cut in Punjab Agriculture
Budget 2001-02
 LAHORE-Though
government claims to assign priority to agriculture and allied
sectors in the Punjab Budget 2001-2002, the allocation under
Annual Development Programme (ADP) has been reduced to Rs 700
million from last year's Rs 900 million while agriculture and
food expenditures also reduced by Rs 291.851 million,
comparing to last year's allocation.
"Priority has been assigned to
the development of agriculture and its allied sectors i.e.
irrigation, livestock and forestry. An amount of Rs. 2.878
billion, 19 per cent of the development programme, has been
allocated for this most important sector of provincial
economy" budget documents stated.
The current allocations for the Agriculture sector stood at Rs
2.2 billion out of total Rs 128 billion Punjab budget for
coming fiscal year. Allocation for Livestock & Dairy
Development under ADP has been increased from Rs 52 million to
57.136 million this year. However, government drastically
reduced budget of Forestry and Wildlife departments by Rs
92.688 million showing a decrease of 56.51 per cent as against
last year's allocation of ADP.
Some of the important schemes
of the agriculture sector are as follows: On-farm water
management activities have been provided with a substantial
allocation of Rs. 457 million. ADB/OECF financed component of
National Drainage Project, has been assigned Rs. 233 million.
Final phase of Chashma Right Bank Irrigation Project and of
Punjab Private Sector Ground Water Development Project with an
allocation of Rs. 193 million will also be continuing.
IDA/World Bank assisted OFWM-IV Project will also be
undertaken this year with an allocation of Rs. 16 million.
Subsidies
The Provincial Government has been subsidizing wheat/atta in
order to maintain low price of wheat products. Subsidy is
provided to cover the gap between the procurement and the
issue price of wheat. There has been a decrease of Rs. One
billion in Revised Estimates (RE) 2000-01 over the Budget
Estimates (BE) 2000-01 of Rs. 5 billion.
The decrease has been
necessitated due to decrease in off-take of wheat. BE 2001-02
has been cast at Rs. 5,000.00 million, which includes normal
subsidy, and Food Stamp Scheme for the low-income groups.
Irrigation and Power
An amount of Rs. 2.05 billion, which is almost equal to the
amount earmarked last year, has been allocated to develop
water resources and tackle problem of water shortages.
During the next year
Marala-Ravi Link Canal, and Bambanwala-Ravi-Bedian-Depalpur (BRBD)
Canal systems will be improved with an allocation of Rs.
150.00 million. Feasibility of modernization/rehabilitation of
barrages will be under taken to improve irrigation water
supply.
Remodeling of Thal Canal
Project with will be continued and for that an allocation of
Rs. 151 million has been provided. To mitigate the adverse
effects of drought, five small dams will be constructed wit
the cost of Rs 30 million. During the financial year 10
kilometers of canals will be brick lined and 200 kilometers of
surface drains will be de-silted.
Rs 5 million has been allocated
for feasibility Study for Remodeling Barrages (Jinnah, Balloki,
Punjnad, khanki, Trimu, Sulemanki and Taunsa Barrages) while
Rs 250 million has been allocated for desilting of Drains.
Government also earmarked Rs
358 million for the maintenance and repair of canals and a sum
of Rs 112 million allocated for maintenance and repair of
embankments.
28-06-01
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