Question : TRAINING PROGRAMMES FOR FARMERS

(a) whether the Government has prepared any action plan for promotion, extension and upgradation of training programmes for farmers and soil testing facilities through National Chemical and Fertilizer Corporation or any other fertilizer corporation in the dry farming region of Maharashtra;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether any review has been conducted of the work done in the State so far;

(d) if so, the details and outcome thereof;

(e) the details of projects under consideration for the said facilities in the State; and

(f) by when these projects are likely to be cleared?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI KANTI LAL BHURIA)

(a)&(b): The Government of India has recently launched a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, viz., `Support to State Extension Programme for Extension Reforms` for the Tenth Plan period for implementation in 254 districts in the country. The objective of the Scheme is to make extension system farmer driven and farmer accountable by way of new institutional arrangements for technology dissemination in the form of an Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) at district level. The districts covered under the Scheme in Maharashtra are: Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Amravati, Ratnagari, Thane, Sindhudurg, Pune, Sangli, Kolhapur, Nandurbar, Latur, Hingoli, Jalna, Washim, Gadchiroli and Wardha. Training of farmers in different subject matters, demonstrations, exposure visits are some of the eligible activities under this Scheme.

At present, there are 29 soil testing laboratories working under the State Government of Maharashtra and 10 soil testing laboratories (5 mobile and 5 static) are being run by the fertilizer industry in the State.

(c)&(d): The Scheme `Support to State Extension Programme for Extension Reforms` has been launched only during 2005. The progress of the implementation of the Scheme was reviewed through video-conference.

(e)&(f): Does not arise, as funds under the Scheme `Support to State Extension Programme for Extension Reforms` are provided to States on Work Plan basis. An amount of Rs. 82 lakhs has been released to the State of Maharashtra during the year 2005-06 under the above Scheme.