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Budget
Speech 2002 - 2003
FOOD SECURITY
40.
Tamil Nadu has already established a lead in the country by taking
laudable steps for improving access of children and expectant mothers to
nutrition. Our aim now is to consolidate this position and become the first
State in the country to provide a ‘Whole Life Cycle Nutrition Security
Programme’ for those below the poverty line with special focus on nutrition
for expectant mothers, infants and the aged.
A sum of Rs.286 crores has been earmarked for this purpose in the Budget.
41.
I am happy to announce that the issue price of rice through the Public
Distribution System would continue to be Rs.3.50 per Kg and an allocation of
Rs.1240 crores has been made in the Budget towards food subsidy.
42.
The objective of the Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana (SGRY) is to create
durable community assets and provide essential infrastructure in rural areas. This scheme also focuses on providing food security, by
distributing 5 kg of food grains per man-day to the workers as part wages.
During 2002-2003, the outlay for this programme will be Rs.292 crores out
of which the State's share will be Rs.58 crores.
43.
We will encourage people in rural areas to take up additional avocations
like cattle and poultry rearing and ostrich farming to increase their
supplementary income. The Government is also exploring the possibilities of
establishing community feed and fodder banks through local self-help groups to
enable landless families and poor farmers to take to animal husbandry.
44.
The Cattle Protection Scheme would be further strengthened and an
allocation of Rs.2.31 crores has been made in the Budget for this purpose. A new scheme for Cattle and Buffalo
Breeding would be implemented during the Tenth Plan Period and an allocation of
Rs.2 crores has been made for the next financial year.
45.
In order to improve the employment potential in the dairy sector, a new
programme for the formation of 145 Milk Producers Co-operative Societies for
10,000 women in the districts of Dharmapuri, Salem, Erode, Coimbatore, Vellore,
Villupuram and Trichy would be implemented during 2002-2003 and Rs. 6.50 crores
has been earmarked for this purpose.
46.
A Fisheries Development Mission is being constituted by the Government
with the objectives of increasing employment potential in this sector and
enhancing the returns to the fishing community. This Mission will seek to
integrate various facets of fisheries development such as increasing marine and
inland fish diversity and density, improving fishing technology and
establishment of subsidiary industries for value addition.
A provision of Rs.1 crore has been made in the Budget for the next year.
47.
Tamil Nadu has virtually exhausted its entire surface water and much of
the ground water potential. It is
necessary that we take urgent steps to augment and conserve the water resources
in the State for domestic, agricultural and industrial use.
48.
I am happy to announce that 4389 mini-pumps fitted with ground level
service reservoir (GSLR) have been installed in water deficient rural areas
during 2001-2002 in accordance with the promise made in the Budget last year.
Given the enthusiastic response of the womenfolk in the rural areas to
this scheme, 8000 hand pumps in the rural areas will be replaced with mini power
pumps and 6500 rural habitations will be provided with protected drinking water
during the next financial year.
49.
A major project aimed at establishing ground water recharge structures in
over 13,000 locations in the State by employing remote sensing technology is
being undertaken. Necessary work for setting up low cost on-site treatment
plants at 50 locations in consultation with National Environment and Energy
Research Institute (NEERI) and other technical institutions has been taken up.
50.
The present availability of water in the reservoirs of Chennai city is
about 45 percent of the total capacity. Though the position has improved when
compared to last year, there is need to utilize the available water carefully to
prevent another crisis in the ensuing summer months. The preliminary
investigations for construction of check dams, percolation tanks etc., under the
Chennai Water Supply Augmentation Project-II have been taken up and desilting
works commenced in Ambattur, Korattur, Erattai Eri and Madhavaram lakes.
51.
A 50 mld Tertiary Treatment Reverse Osmosis Plant for supplying treated
sewage water to industries is being set up and it is hoped that the future water
requirements of industries in Chennai will be met entirely from this project. Another
530 mld water treatment plant at Chembarambakkam will be taken up for execution
and this is likely to improve the overall drinking water situation in the
megapolis.
52.
An allocation of Rs.77.38 crores has been made for the equity
contribution of the State Government to Metro Water for the Chennai Water Supply
Augmentation Project-I (New Veeranam Project) in the next financial year.
53.
The Avinashi-Athikadavu Drinking Water Project has been formulated at a
cost of Rs.270 crores. The
Government proposes to take up this project for implementation in phases by
availing of assistance from financial institutions.
54.
I am happy to inform the Honourable Members that Coimbatore and Vellore
districts have been rated as the best performing districts by the Government of
India under the Sector Reforms Programme implemented at a cost of Rs.40 crores.
The objective of this programme is to institutionalize community participation
in rural water supply schemes. Encouraged by this enthusiastic response, the Government proposes to
extend this programme to the districts of Kancheepuram, Ramanathapuram and Karur
in the next financial year.
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