Negative growth in 2018-19 Maha crop production: Economic

Crop production in Maharashtra is expected to see negative growth of 8 per cent in the 2018-19 fiscal due to severe drought in several parts of the state, the Economic Survey tabled in the state Legislature Monday revealed.

Agriculture and the allied sector on a whole is expected to grow at 0.4 per cent, a decline when compared to last year's 3.1 per cent rise, the survey further stated.

The state's economy is expected to grow by 7.5 per cent during 2018-19, same as the Gross State Domestic Product growth clocked last year.

The industry sector is expected to grow by 6.9 per cent, lower than last year's 7.6 per cent, and the service sector by 9.2 per cent, better than last year's 8.1 per cent, the survey revealed.

Maharashtra's per capita income was Rs 1,91,827, third behind Karnataka at Rs 2,07,062 and Andhra Pradesh's Rs 1,43,935.

The gross irrigated area to gross cropped area ratio was not provided in the survey for the seventh year in a row.

In 2009-10, when the Congress-NCP regime was in power, then chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, of the Congress, had ignited a controversy by claiming that only 17.9 per cent of area was irrigated despite a spend of Rs 77,000 crore.

The irrigation department at the time, and since 1999, was held by ally NCP.