New Delhi: The Planning Commission has fixed a budget of Rs 12,023 crore for the Department of Agriculture Research and Education (DARE) during the 11th Plan period, as against the Parliamentary panel's minimum demand of one per cent of farm GDP.

Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today made a statement in the Lok Sabha on status of implementation of recommendation contained in 34th report of Standing Committee on Agriculture.

"The Planning Commission has intimated the Eleventh Plan outlay of the Department at Rs 12,023 crore," Pawar said in the statement.

In its recommendation, the Standing Commitee had urged the Planning Commission and Ministry of Finance to enhance public funding for agrarian research and education up to 1-2 per cent of agriculture GDP for the 11th Plan.

The Committee had noted that the Tenth Plan Working Group for DARE had recommended an allocation of at least one per cent of agriculture GDP share, which amounted to about Rs 25,000 crore at that time.

The Eleventh Plan Working Group on agriculture research and education has also recommended that a sum of at least Rs 31,762 crore should be provided for various sectors and State Agricultural Universities, the committee said.

The committee had sought explanations on the Department's failure to propose more outlay for the 11th Plan. In its reply, the ministry said the Department was constrained to project the 11th Plan outlay at Rs 12,176 crore as it was asked to submit the proposals with a maximum limit of an increase of 15 per cent per annum (at current price).

"Going by this criterion, as suggested by Planning Commission, the 11th Plan outlay works out to Rs 10,467 crore whereas the Department had projected a higher figure of Rs 12,176 crore," the statement said.
Source : PTI