CHENNAI DEC. 13. The Wasteland Development Programme of the Tamil Nadu Government has generated interest in a large number of corporate houses, which wanted to take land for agribusiness, the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, said today.

Addressing the first meeting of the State Wasteland and Watersheds Development Authority, Ms. Jayalalithaa said 224 corporate houses evinced interest in the programme. So far, 4,112 applications had been issued and 1,597 filled-in applications received.

Blocks of land below eight hectares would be processed by district committees, headed by the Collectors. Blocks of land above eight hectares and large chunks of land above 40 acres must be processed by district committees and referred to a high-level committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary for orders of the Government. The HLC recommended proposals covering four districts totalling nearly 459 hectares. The Government would issue orders shortly.

"I have given instructions that this exercise must be completed and the project made operational in all districts by Pongal next," Ms. Jayalalithaa.

Wasteland development could dramatically raise rural incomes and generate millions of on-farm and non-farm employment opportunities, she said.

"Our motto is to raise productivity of rain-fed and marginal lands through wasteland development, using the watershed approach, rainwater harvesting and water conservation techniques, along with assured access to remunerative markets for agricultural produce through linkages with agro-processing industries."

`Cohesive effort needed'

The success of the programme depended on the convergence of services by different departments. "It is important to propagate the concept of convergence of services in districts and ensure that different field functionaries work as one cohesive unit and develop micro-plans at the district level to integrate wasteland reclamation with agro-processing under the New Anna Marumalarchi Thittam." The Thittam envisaged integrating agriculture and rural industries in all 385 blocks of the State.

The scheme, involving the corporate sector, would have forward linkages to agribusiness, cold storage and markets. The Government would act as a facilitator between corporate houses and small landholders to ensure integrated development of wasteland with agribusiness, thereby providing new employment opportunities in rural areas.

"In order to make the programme sustainable, it is necessary to establish market linkages for agricultural produce as well as for agro-processed value-added products," she said.

The Government declared three high-potential areas as agri-export zones.

The Agri Export Zone for flowers in Hosur at a cost of Rs.24.85 crores, for floriculture in the Nilgiris at a cost of Rs.15.89 crores and for mangoes in Theni and five southern districts at a cost of Rs.24.60 crores, had been recently approved by the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Development Authority, Ms. Jayalalithaa said.