Centre’s move to transform agriculture

• Centre sets up high powered committee to transform agriculture, committee headed by Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also includes Chief Ministers of six states, will submit its report in two months.

Centre has constituted a high powered committee of Chief Ministers of several states for the transformation of Indian Agriculture.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be the convener of the committee, while the chief ministers of Karnataka, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have been included as members.

Union Agriculture, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister will also be a member of the committee. Besides, NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand has been named the Member Secretary.

The Committee will discuss measures for transformation of agriculture and raising farmers’ income. It will suggest the modalities for adoption and time bound implementation of agriculture sector reforms.

The Committee has been asked to submit its report in two months. It has been given a task with suggesting changes in the Essential Commodity Act to attract private investments in agricultural marketing and infrastructure.

The panel will suggest mechanism for linking of market reforms with e-NAM, GRAM and other relevant Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

It will also suggest policy measures to boost agricultural export, raise growth in food processing and attract investments in modern market infrastructure, value chains and logistics, besides making other key suggestions.