.     MACRO MANAGEMENT OF AGRICULTURE

   

With a view to ensuring that the Central assistance is spent on well focused and specific interventions in areas of priority of different States, and to ensure maximum benefits in terms of increased productivity and consequential increased prosperity of the farming community, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme-Macro Management of Agriculture was evolved by integrating 27 Centrally Sponsored Schemes.  This Scheme aims at development in agriculture through Work Plans prepared by the States themselves.  The Scheme provides flexibility to States to develop and pursue activities on the basis of their regional priorities. The States have flexibility within given parameters, to select schemes of their choice out of the 27 schemes and their components and include them in their Work Plans.  The States are also free to include new interventions in the Work Plans provided these are not covered under any other scheme of the Central Government or are not part of any ongoing State scheme. The expenditure on any new initiative should not be more than 10 % of the total allocation to the State under the Macro Management Scheme. 

2          The State Work Plans will specifically focus on the major concerns of each State/U.T and will comprise specific interventions to address the same and achieve maximum gains through most efficient and optimal utilization of Plans funds.  The implementation of Work Plans is closely monitored both at the State and the Central levels. The physical monitoring of the Scheme is done by the respective Subject Matter Divisions in the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Government of India 

3.         The approved pattern of assistance under the scheme is in the ratio of 90:10 for the Centre and the States respectively except in case of North-Eastern States who are provided 100% Central assistance. The Central assistance to be released is in the ratio of 80% Grant and 20% Loan. 

4.         With the approval of the Ministry of Finance, guidelines were laid down for implementation of the scheme and same were intimated to the States/UTs. Subsequently, comprehensive guidelines have been drawn up and intimated to the States for effective implementation of the Scheme 

5.         During 2001-02, a sum of Rs.6312200 thousand was released to the States/UTs under this Scheme.  A sum of Rs.7368600 thousand has been provided in the B.E.2002-03 for implementation of the Scheme. Out of this, Rs.7098500 thousand are earmarked for releases to the States/UTs.  A sum of Rs.4926600 thousand has been released to the States/UTs till 31^st December, 2002.