Cabinet Approves Second Phase of ‘Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjeevani Yojana’: Inclusion of 7,000 New Villages – Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde

Key Highlights:

• Agristack Scheme to be implemented in Maharashtra
• Additional Funding for Turmeric Research Center at Hingoli
• Approval for Recruitment of Project-Affected Individuals in Agricultural Universities

Mumbai, October 10: The Maharashtra state cabinet, chaired by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has approved the second phase of the ‘Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjeevani Yojana,’ which includes the addition of 7,000 new villages. This phase also incorporates the Central Government’s Agristack Digital Agriculture Mission scheme. Furthermore, the cabinet has approved 30 new positions for project-affected individuals in the state’s agricultural universities and additional funding for the Balasaheb Thackeray Turmeric (Haridra) Research Center. These updates were shared by Agriculture Minister Dhananjay Munde.

Second Phase of Nanaji Deshmukh Krishi Sanjeevani Yojana: The project aims to help farmers in select districts adapt to the challenges posed by climate change and make agriculture more profitable. In the first phase, 5,284 villages were covered. The second phase will include 6,959 villages across 21 districts, particularly in Vidarbha, including Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Chandrapur, and Gadchiroli. The project is estimated to cost Rs 6,000 crore, with financial assistance from the World Bank.

Implementation of Agristack Scheme: The Central Government’s Agristack Digital Agriculture Mission scheme will be rolled out in Maharashtra to expedite and streamline the delivery of various government benefits to farmers through digital services. The scheme will see the Revenue Department preparing geo-contextual data sets such as farmer information, seasonal crop information, and village maps. The Agriculture Department will establish an Information Use Room to facilitate these services. Various committees, from state to taluka levels, will oversee implementation. The cost of creating crop data sets for all three seasons is expected to be Rs 81.83 crore annually.

Additional Funding for Turmeric Research Center: The cabinet approved additional funds of Rs 709.27 crore for the Balasaheb Thackeray Turmeric (Haridra) Research and Training Center in Wasmat, Hingoli district. This center focuses on research and developing turmeric as an exportable product. The funds will be released in phases.

Recruitment of Project-Affected Individuals: The cabinet also approved the relaxation of recruitment restrictions for ‘C’ and ‘D’ category posts in all four agricultural universities in the state, reserving 50% of the posts for project-affected individuals. These posts will be filled from eligible candidates whose families’ land has been acquired for university projects, covering 3,232 hectares across the four universities. The recruitment process will comply with the Supreme Court’s special permission order, ensuring both parallel and social reservation.