Bihar govt sanctions 800 crore loan for wheat procurement

Patna:  The Bihar government today sanctioned a loan of Rs 800 crore from the contingency fund for wheat procurement during the Rabi season in 2012-13, official sources said. The decision was taken at a cabinet meeting presided over by the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Principal Secretary (Cabinet Coordination and Secretariat) Ravikant told reporters here. The plan empowered committee had recommended for sanction of Rs 1,000 crore loan to the State Food Corporation (SFC) for wheat procurement out of which Rs 200 crore were approved earlier, he said.

Ravikant said that the SFC has already procured 3.61 lakh tonnes wheat as against the target of 15 lakh tonnes. The state government approved a proposal for 15.56 acre government land in Saidpur locality in the state capital for the proposed Regional Science Centre and the Science City projects, the Principal Secretary said. A proposal for an irrigation project with an estimated cost of Rs 139.44 crore under the National Micro Irrigation Mission under which the small and marginal farmers will be given subsidy of 90 per cent, while the remaining farmers will get 60 per cent subsidy, he said.

Courtesy: PTI