Tamil Nadu earmarks Rs 5,157 crore for FY23 for providing free power to farmers

The Tamil Nadu government on Saturday said that with a view to providing free electricity to all the farmers across the state, an amount of Rs 5,157.56 crore will be provided to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Coroporation (TANGEDCO), for the fiscal year 2023.

Presenting a separate agri budget, Tamil Nadu state agriculture minister MRK Paneerselvam on Saturday said for implementing crop insurance scheme continuously during 2022-23, the state government has allocated an amount of Rs 2,399 crore as state share of premium subsidy.

Despite severe financial crunch, the state government continues to implement the crop insurance scheme to protect the farmers from crop losses due to adverse natural calamities. Due to the continuous efforts of the state government, an amount of Rs 2,055 crore has been disbursed to 9.26 lakh farmers as compensation for the year 2020-2021.

Tamil Nadu government is giving special attention to increase the area under micro irrigation on cluster basis, by providing 100% subsidy for small and marginal farmers and 75% subsidy for other farmers. The scheme will be implemented in an extent of 2,50,000 acre at an outlay of Rs 960 crore with the Union and state government fund, he said.

To fulfill the farmers’ need and increase their income with various components, this government will introduce a new scheme namely State Agricultural Development Scheme, this year with a total allocation of Rs 71 crore. To support to small and marginal farmers under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe categories, additional subsidy of 20% will be permitted over and above the existing subsidy rate.

Tamil Nadu will establish village-level value addition and marketing centres to help small and marginal farmers of Tamil Nadu so that they can earn additional income if they take up value addition locally. The state governement will source funds from NABARD.

Such centres will be established in 38 villages at a total outlay of Rs 95 crore, where millets, pulses, oilseeds and vegetables are predominantly cultivated, by giving priority to those regions where millet mission is being implemented. Facilities for cleaning, grading, packing and value addition will be created in those centres, in addition to building of storage godown.

With the objective of learn, cultivate and earn, the state government will establish Agricultural Market Intelligence cum Farmer Advisory Centres, in 15 districts such as Kallakurichi, Salem, Tirupattur, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Kancheepuram, Nagapattinam, Perambalur, Vellore, Chengalpattu, Ramanathapuram, Namakkal, Tiruppur, Ranipet and Ariyalur at an outlay of Rs 1,650 crore during 2022-23 under the Union and state government fund.

While congratulating the full-fledged state agricultural budget with a total allocation of `33,007.68 crore, A Sakthivel, president, Federation of Indian Export Organisations, said that the welfare measures announced in the budget will go a long way in making Tamil Nadu a welfare state by reaching the benefits to all cross sections including the weakest of the weaker sections.