New Delhi: The first meeting of High Powered Committee of Chief Ministers, formed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Transformation of Indian Agriculture, was held at NITI Aayog, on Thursday.
The Union Minister of Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, along with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu and Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani were also present in the meeting.
The committee is mulling over linking the central grants to the states to bring about reforms in agriculture as the government is targeting to double the farmers income by 2022.
"While targeting subsidies effectively, how the growth rate of agriculture sector could be improved, was discussed during the meeting. To improve the growth rate, investments from private sector is quite necessary. Several states have also adapted contractual farming which improves the rate of private investments."
He also stressed upon the non-involvement of states in the centre's scheme of eNAM (National Agriculture Market), which is a pan-India electronic trading platform. As the eNAM has not reached to the majority of farmers, the sub committee has discussed the ways to give a dynamic electronic platform to the farmers.
The committee also had a discussion over the Essential Commodity Act. Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh Kamal Nath was in favour of scrapping the Essential Commodity Act (ECA), 1955.
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Centre is of the view that the Act is deterring investments in agricultural marketing. Hence, the committee is expected to look at the policy directives in this regard.
"All the member states are being asked to submit their views by August 7, after which NITI Aayog will make a comprehensive presentation over these suggestions for agricultural reforms. The next meeting is likely to be held on August 16, in which new agriculture policies will be discussed. The policy will focus on ways to enhance investment credit in the sector," said Fadnavis.
