(a) the details of arid and semi arid districts in the country,State-wise;
(b) whether the Government proposes to promote agriculture in these regions during the Eleventh
Five Year Plan;
(c) if so, the details of the central schemes formulated in this regard;and
(d) the funds earmarked to promote farming in these regions?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE(SHRI KANTI LAL BHURIA)
(a): A statement showing state wise districts coming under arid and semi arid regions based on the
studies conducted by International Crop Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics as per the
parameters identified by Indian Council of Agricultural Research is given at Annexure -1.
(b) to (d): The Government has established a National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA) for sustained
and holistic development of rainfed areas which include arid and semi-arid regions.The Authority
is an expert body to provide the much needed knowledge inputs regarding systematic upgradation and
management of country`s dryland and rainfed agriculture. In the Eleventh Five Year Plan the
Government is implementing various programs/schemes for development of agriculture in the country
under which funds are provided for arid and semi-arid areas also. The names of the major schemes
are :
(i) Watershed Programmes
# National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas (NWDPRA)
# Soil Conservation for Enhancing Productivity of Degraded Lands in the Catchments of
River Valley Project and Flood Prone River (RVP & FPR)
# Watershed Development Projects in Shifting Cultivation Areas (WDPSCA)
# Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP)
# Integrated Wasteland Development Programme (IWDP)
# Desert Development Programme (DDP)
(ii) National Food Security Mission (NFSM)
(iii) Rastriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)
(iv) National Horticulture Mission (NHM)