(a) whether there has been a continuous shortfall in utilization of plan funds in agricultural
marketing during the entire Ninth Plan period;
(b) if so, the reasons therefor;
(c) whether four schemes for marketing division proposed to be implemented during the
Ninth Plan have not yet been approved by the Planning Commission;
(d) if so, the reasons therefor; and
(e) the efforts being made to get these schemes cleared by the Planning Commission early?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE (SHRI SHRIPAD Y. NAIK)
(a): Yes, Sir.
(b): There was shortfall in utlisation of funds under ongoing schemes due to factors such as
non-finalisation of purchase proposals for chemicals, apparatus and equipments of Agmark
laboratories and non-receipt of utilisation certificates from State Governments/Union Territory
Administrations. In addition to this, funds provided for new Schemes could not be utilised as
these schemes were not approved.
(c): Yes, Sir.
(d) & (e): The Planning Commission had not approved the four new schemes on the
grounds that:
(i) since schemes on Agricultural Marketing had earlier been transferred to the States,
there may not be sufficient reason for reviving them as new Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
(ii) since the process of convergence and weeding out of CSS was being pursued, it may be
desirable to include the important aspects of the proposed schemes in the existing schemes
itself.
The matter having been taken up again with the Planning Commission, the Planning
Commission has now constituted a Group under the Chairmanship of Secretary, Planning
Commission to consider the whole gamut of Agricultural marketing. The report of the Group is
still awaited.