Odisha Budget 2013-14: Focus on Agriculture, Education

By Sagar Satapathy: Odisha Finance Minister Prasanna Acharya presented Budget for 2013-14 in Assembly in two parts today. He presented Rs 60,303.09 crore Budget, the highest-ever for Odisha for the financial year 2013-14, giving more priority to agriculture, irrigation and allied sectors.

For the first time in Odisha, the farmers will be given free mobile phones to access Market Information under the Digital Mandi Scheme. The objective is to empower the farmers for proper planning of crops and better price realization under the Scheme. They will get information on market prices of agricultural products through Mobile Phones. The government has decided to provide Mobile Phones to 20,000 farmers registered under the above scheme, which will be implemented by the Regulated Market Committees (RMCs) in the State.

The first part of the budget contained the Agriculture Budget prepared on the advice of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the second part contained the General Budget proposals. For the first time in Odisha, a separate Agriculture Budget was presented to give a new dimension to the schemes related to agriculture and farmers

Keeping the objectives in view, the state government has decided to enhance the public investment in agriculture and allied sectors like Horticulture, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, Irrigation, Cooperative Credit etc in the budget from Rs 5627.87 Crore in 2012-13 to 7161.84 Crore in 2013-14.

The minister in his budget speech said that the agriculture in Odisha is facing several challenges like low investment, low productivity, fluctuation growth, low quality seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, credit at high interest rates and uncertain natural calamities like drought, flood and cyclone.

He stressed that the state has to increase agricultural productivity at the same rate at which our Gross State Domestic Product (GDP) is rising. The budget has been prepared to decline poverty of people, who basically depend on agriculture.

Giving an instance of BRICS Countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China & South Africa), whose growth in agriculture is at least two to three times more effective in reducing poverty than non-agriculture sectors, Mr Acharya said to recognise the challenges that the agriculture sector is facing in Odisha and to reformulate the strategy for the development of agriculture.

Budget on Agriculture

1. The outlay of Agriculture Department under Plan and Non Plan has been enhanced from the level of Rs 1519.31 Crore in 2012-13 to Rs. 1823.77 Crore in 2013-14 with an increase of about 20%.
2. The outlay under Non Plan has been enhanced from Rs 390.35 Crore in 2012-13 to Rs 426.53 Crore in 2013-14.
3. The total outlay under plan in 2012-13 has been enhanced to Rs 1397.96 Crore in 2013-14 from Rs 1128.96 Crore registering a growth of 24%. It includes Husbandry, Horticulture, Soil & Water conservation, Agriculture Research & Education and Other Agricultural Programmes.
4. The provision of Rs 426.53 Crore under Non Plan covers the cost of human resources and operational requirement of the institutional mechanism in place for planning, monitoring and implementation as well as development of agriculture projects for different crops, maintenance of Agricultural Education and Research Institutes, Agricultural extension services, experimental demonstration and other farms, soil and water conservation including watershed development, horticulture & floriculture development, Seed Certification Agency etc.
5. Proposed to spend Rs 7 crore on Intensive extension campaign on Agriculture
6. Rs 5.50 Cr on Organic Farming
7. Rs 1 crore for Development of infrastructure for Post-Harvest Management
8. Rs 2 crore for Establishment of Agro Industrial Estate
9. Rs 3.27 Cr Establishment of 10 numbers of Agro polytechnics
10. Propose to provide Rs 2.00 crore in order to operationalize the soil testing and quality control laboratories established in different agro-climatic zones of the State
11. Rs 22 crore for IWMP and Operational cost for IWMP. Propose to provide Rs 10.00 Crore towards the State Share in 2013-14 for the Watershed Development Mission, which is being implemented through the Centrally Sponsored Plan Scheme Integrated Watershed Management Programme(IWMP).
12. 498 crore.88 lakh for concrete road

Outlay for existing Plan Schemes:

1. Rs 520.00 Cr for Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana
2. Rs 290.00 Cr for Jalanidhi and Sustainable harnessing of ground water in water deficit areas
3. Rs 42.00 Cr input subsidy to farmers for purchase of quality seeds, bio-pesticides, insecticides, fertilizer, bio-fertilizer etc. for both the agricultural and horticultural farmers as against Rs 40.00 Crore provided in 2012-13.
4. Rs 100.00 Cr. for Popularisation of Agriculture Implements from Rs 90.00 Crore in 2012-13
5. Rs 25.00 Cr for Micro Irrigation
6. Rs 20.00 Cr for National Horticulture Mission
7. Rs 5.00 Cr for Promotion of System of Rice Intensification (SRI)
8. Rs 30.00 Cr for Subsidy under Agriculture Policy
9. Rs 14.21 Cr for Jeebika programme, which intends to enhance the livelihood needs of the landless and marginal households that are generally left out under normal watershed activities
10. Cooperation Department in 2013-14 has gone up from Rs 239.38 Crore in 2012-13 to Rs 716.44 Crore. While the outlay under Non-Plan has increased from
11. Rs 77.24 Crore to Rs 108.44 Crore, the outlay under State plan has gone up by more than three times from Rs 162.65 Crore in 2012-13 toRs 608.00 Crore in 2013-14
12. Rs 90.00 Cr for Interest Subvention on Short Term Loan by Commercial Banks
13. Rs 20.00 Cr Interest Subvention on Term Loan by Co-operative and Commercial Banks
14. Rs 83.00 Cr for Creation of Warehousing Facilities under RIDF
15. Rs 298.00 Cr for Development of Infrastructure in Regulated Market Committee Market Yards
16. Rs 64.15 Cr for Computerisation of Odisha State Co-operative Bank, District Central Co-op. Banks and Urban Co-op. Banks and Primary Agricultural Co-op. Societies
17. Rs 14.78 Cr for Establishment of Agro Service Centres and Soil Testing Laboratories in Primary Agricultural Co-op. Societies
18. Rs 2.00 Cr for Free Mobile Phones to Farmers to access Market Information under the Digital Mandi Scheme
19. Rs 3.00 Cr for Conversion of Kisan Credit Cards as Smart Cards
20. Rs 15.00 Cr for Assistance to Co-operative Sugar Mills
21. Rs 15.00 Cr for Establishment of Market Yards at Block Level
22. Rs 215.90 Cr for Interest Subsidy/Subvention
23. Rs 30.00 Cr for Indemnity for Crop Insurance
24. The outlay of Fisheries & Animal Resources Development Department has been enhanced from Rs 402.25 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 447.09 crore in 2013-14. The outlay under Non-Plan has increased from Rs 236.99 crore to Rs 246.34 crore, which includes establishment and operational cost of the administrative and field level programme delivery organizations of the Department. There has been increase in the Plan outlay from Rs 165.26 crore to Rs 200.75 crore.
25. Rs 8.00 Cr for Interest subsidy on Short term credit to Fish Farmers
26. Rs 4.50 Cr for Interest subsidy on Long term credit to Fish Farmers
27. Rs 12.50 Cr for Promotion of intensive aqua culture and fresh water fish seed hatchery
28. Rs 4.60 Cr for Empowering fishermen through mobile advisory services and Establishment of toll free call centre for fisheries extension service
29. Rs 2.00 Cr for Assistance to Fishermen for Dwelling Houses
30. Rs 2.50 Cr for Infrastructure for Cage Culture
31. Rs 3.50 Cr for Interest Subvention on short term loan to Dairy Farmers
32. Rs 3.00 Cr for Interest Subvention on long term loan to Dairy Farmers
33. The total budgetary outlay for Water Resources Department has been enhanced from Rs 3466.42 Crore in 2012-13 to Rs 4024.53 Crore in 2013-14. The outlay under Non-Plan has increased from Rs 894.90 Crore to Rs 993.53 Crore. The provision under State Plan has been enhanced from Rs 2571.52 Crore in 2012-13 to Rs 3031.00 Crore in 2013-14 for the development of Major and Medium Irrigation Projects, Flood Control, Drainage, Minor Irrigation works and Command Area Development Programme including participatory irrigation management.
34. Rs 1712.27 Cr for Major and Medium Irrigation Projects
35. Rs 305.45 Cr for Flood Control and Drainage
36. Rs 923.28 Cr for Minor Irrigation Works
37. Rs 90.00 Cr for Command Area Development
38. Rs 150.00 Cr for Dedicated Agriculture Feeder
39. Rs 100.00 Cr for Health Insurance for Farmers under Biju Krushak Kalyan Yojana, the scheme meant to protect the farmer and their families from health related issues and to provide them relief for accident and disability.

General Budget

The government estimated tax and non-tax revenue at Rs 24430 crore for the year 2013-14, 12% more than the Revised Estimate in 2012-13. The government proposed to achieve Tax/GSDP ratio of 6.02% in 2013-14 compared to Revised Estimates of 5.92% in 2012-13.

1. The Non-Plan expenditure estimate of Rs 37958.57 Crore includes provision of Rs 13316.19 Crore, Rs 6728.00 Crore, Rs 5007.86 Crore and Rs 3591.82 Crore towards salaries, pension, interest payment and maintenance of capital assets respectively.
2. The outlay for the State’s Annual Plan 2013-14 has been fixed at Rs 21467 Crore for the year 2013-14, which includes an outlay of Rs 19367 Crore for the Government sector and Rs 2100 Crore for the Public Sector Undertakings
3. The total expenditure proposed in the Budget Estimates including Debt repayment is Rs 60303.09 Crore
4. The Non-Plan expenditure is estimated at Rs 37958.57 Crore, 10.50% increase against estimates for previous fiscal
5. The State Plan, Central Plan and Centrally Sponsored Plan expenditure have been estimated at Rs 19367.00 Crore, Rs 1095.80 Crore and Rs 1881.72 Crore respectively
6. The Capital investment in the current budget was enhanced by 25% over revised estimates.
7. Allocations for maintenance and upkeep of Capital assets has also been enhanced by 15% from Rs 3123.32 Crore to Rs 3591.82 Crore.

Health:

1. Rs 2192.18 Crore under both Plan and Non-Plan has been allocated for Health and Family Welfare Department
2. Provision for purchase of drugs has been increased from Rs 104.56 Crore to Rs 202.56 Crore in 2013-14
3. Rs 10.00 Crore under Odisha State Treatment Fund for poor patients getting treatment free of cost. The assistance is upto Rs 3.00 lakh for the poor patient
4. Rs 91.00 Crore for required infrastructure of Government Medical Colleges
5. Rs 200.00 for the schemes implemented under NRHM
6. Rs 260.95 Crore for infrastructure development of Medical Colleges, staff quarters, Subcentre buildings
7. Rs 40.00 crore to strengthen Public Health Management Systems
8. Rs 10.00 Crore for Health Information System
9. Rs 10.00 Crore for Mo Masari Scheme, which was launched during the current year 2012-13 with allocation of Rs 4.00 Crore

School & Mass Education

Allocation in School and Mass Education Department is enhanced from Rs 6525.40 Crore this year to Rs 7142.83 Crore for 2013-14. This is the largest allocation among all Departments which constitutes about 12% of the total budget allocation.

1. Rs 650.00 crore for Sarva Sikshya Abhiyan (SSA)
2. Rs 125.00 Crore for distribution of bicycles to Class-X students’ to the girl students and SC and ST students
3. Rs 110.00 Crore for development under Rashtriya Madhyamika Sikshya Abhiyan (RMSA)
4. Rs 42.95 Crore for establishment of ‘Model Schools’ in backward districts, particularly in tribal districts
5. Rs 215.00 Crore for implementation of Mid Day Meal (MDM) Scheme
6. Rs 15 Crore for construction of Sainik School at Sambalpur
7. Rs 1.20 Crore for B.Ed College at Kandhamal for teachers’ training

Higher Education Department

1. Rs 1449.50 Crore for Higher Education under Plan and Non Plan sector for the year 2013-14
2. Rs 49.12 Crore and Rs 51.00 Crore for the new schemes
3. Rs 1.50 Crore for exemption of tuition fees and examination fees of the students of flood and draught affected areas
4. Rs 19.50 Crore for Professional Scholarship and 6.03 Cr for other scholarship
5. Rs 830.17 for grant in aid to Non-Government Aided Colleges
6. Rs 162.34 Crore for grant in aid to Universities
7. Rs 20.00 Crore for modernisation of quality education
8. Rs 18.60 Crore for opening of Government Colleges in the districts with low Gross Enrolment Ratio