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No discrimination among states on drought-relief: Rajnath
Bangalore, Aug 13: Union Agriculture Minister Rajnath Singh today asserted that no discrimination was being made among states as far as drought-relief was concerned.
Bangalore, Aug 13: Union Agriculture Minister Rajnath Singh today asserted that no discrimination was being made among states as far as drought-relief was concerned.
"The Central government is extending maximum help. However, the government is taking steps in this regard on the basis of reports submitted by study teams sent to each state", he said, inaugurating the biotechnology laboratory building of Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) at Hesarghatta on the city outskirts.
Terming agriculture as the backbone of a developing economy like India, he said there was an urgent need to "increase agriculture production, productivity and quality to compete in the global scenario".
"And this is where both the farmers and the agricultural scientists play an important role", he said. "Infact the whole financial, social and political system of a country like India revolves around agriculture", Singh said.
The Vajpayee government was "sensitive to the needs of farmers" and this was reflected in the government's decision to reduce the rate of interest on agricultural loans availed of by farmers to nine per cent from the 14 to 18 per cent earlier, he said.
The government had also decided to reduce the interest rate on agricultural equipment used by the farmers." The farmer will now be treated on par with an urbanite who can buy a car at an interest rate of nine to 10 per cent", the minister said. Bureau Report
Terming agriculture as the backbone of a developing economy like India, he said there was an urgent need to "increase agriculture production, productivity and quality to compete in the global scenario".
"And this is where both the farmers and the agricultural scientists play an important role", he said. "Infact the whole financial, social and political system of a country like India revolves around agriculture", Singh said.
The Vajpayee government was "sensitive to the needs of farmers" and this was reflected in the government's decision to reduce the rate of interest on agricultural loans availed of by farmers to nine per cent from the 14 to 18 per cent earlier, he said.
The government had also decided to reduce the interest rate on agricultural equipment used by the farmers." The farmer will now be treated on par with an urbanite who can buy a car at an interest rate of nine to 10 per cent", the minister said. Bureau Report