: Union Agriculture minister Radha Mohan Singh today said that it would be difficult to extend the deadline of Kuttanad package for rejuvenating the farm sector in Kerala.
"We have taken your plea seriously. The tenure of the package has got over and so it is difficult to extend it. But excess funds from schemes like Rashtriya Krish Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and National Horticulture Mission (NHM) can be utilised to complete the package," he said while addressing delegates at the two-day Global Agro Meet.
Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy had met the minister in Delhi last month and sought extension of the deadline for Kuttanad.
The Rs 1,850-crore Kuttanad package was approved in July 2008 and ended in July 2013.
Kuttanad, a low lying area and one of the world's most fertile regions, is spread over the districts of Alapuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta.
