No separate budget for agriculture: Pawar

The central government is not considering presenting a separate budget for agriculture, Union Minister Sharad Pawar said today.

It was not possible for the Government to go in for presentation of a separate budget for agriculture, the Agriculture Minister told reporters after laying the foundation stone for the ''KLE Cancer Hospital and Research Centre'' here.

Pawar''s reaction came in response to a question whether the Union Government will adopt the model of the Karnataka government which is all set to give the state's first ever agriculture budget on February 24.

The Government has taken up a project to build new warehouses to create storing facility for additional 2.15 lakh tonnes of foodgrains and is encouraging food processing industries to benefit farmers, he said.

Commenting on the issue of sugar decontrol, Pawar said most of the states were not agreeing but added the government was pursuing the matter.
On the political situation in Goa, he said NCP has asked Goa Chief Minister Digambar Kamat to drop one of his party ministers and induct another.

"If this (dropping and induction) is not possible, then drop both ministers -- Jose Philip D''Souza and Nilkant Halarnkar and NCP would give outside support to the Congress," Pawar said.

The NCP is facing a political turmoil after the two Ministers refused to quit the Digambar Kamat cabinet, despite being directed by the party president Sharad Pawar.

The NCP is a constituent of Goa''s ruling Congress-led coalition.