World Bank to infuse Rs 700 cr for agri-facelift in Rajasthan

It needed a combination of chief minister Vasundhara Raje, agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini and agriculture department’s principal Secy Neel Kamal Darbari to formalise a World Bank funded project, which is set to change lives of 1.55 lakh small and marginal farmers of the state. The bank has committed an interest-free loan of around Rs 700 crore to change the face of agriculture in the state.

The project – Rajasthan Agricultural Competitiveness Project (RACP) – is likely to be launched early next year in 20 selected areas involving over 10,000 hectares across agro-ecological zones of 10 districts of the state. It will increase agricultural productivity through the sustainable and efficient use of water resources which is the core of RACP. RACP is mandated to increase agriculture productivity and farmers’ incomes through efficient water management, crop management, improved technology, farmer organisation and market innovations.

The project has been hanging fire since 2012 when World Bank had sanctioned that loan. The state government didn’t accord priority to this project and it moved at a snail’s pace in the last 5 years. Just then state agriculture minister Prabhu Lal Saini, also known as towering minister due to his height, took keen interest and the …read more