No need for separate agriculture budget: Government says in Lok Sabha

Asserting that it is committed to farmers' interest and farming, the government on Tuesday said in Lok Sabha that there was no need to have a separate budget for agriculture.

Replying to a question in the Lower House, Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar said keeping a separate budget for agriculture would neither benefit the country nor the farmers.

He was replying to a question asked by DMK member T R Baalu why the government does not consider bringing a separate budget for agriculture to address the problems of the farmers.

During global recession, the DMK member said, India "withstood" because of the agriculture.

"Our chief minister M K Stalin brought a separate agriculture budget in Tamil Nadu," he said.

Replying to the DMK leader's question, the agriculture minister said, "It will naturally be liked by every one what he (Baalu) has suggested."

He noted that there used to be a separate budget for Railways earlier.

However, the government brought reforms and merged the Railway Budget with the main budget, he said.

"If we analyse, we will see a vast difference in railway budget implementation (since its merger with the main budget)," Tomar told the House during Question Hour.

"The budget, whether one or two, should have a direction, adequate provisions and spirit to implement them," he added.

The minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi government is "fully committed" to the farmers' interest and farming.

"Keeping a separate budget (for agriculture), taking out allocations from the main budget, would neither benefit the country nor the farmers," he added.