New Delhi: The mid-term review of the 10th Plan (2002-07) has stressed the revival of agricultural growth and the rejuvenation of the farm support system. It has pointed out that achieving a GDP growth rate of eight per cent was critically dependant on achieving higher growth rates in agriculture.

The average rate of growth in the 10th Plan is likely to be below seven per cent, well short of the 8.1-per cent target, admits the review. Stressing for improved support systems in extension, credit and the delivery systems of inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and veterinary services, the review will call for developing private sector alternatives, apart from strengthening the existing public sector network.

The report calls for prioritising schemes on rehabilitating existing irrigation systems, ground water development through back-ended subsidy schemes, artificial recharge of ground water and "inclusion of command area development works as part of major/medium projects". The total cost of this effort is estimated at around Rs1,10,000 crore and the central share up to the end of 11th Plan period could be around Rs23,000 crore.

To find additional resources for these schemes, the report has suggested linking the existing FFW (food for work) and SGRY (Sampoorna Grameen Rozgar Yojana) programmes and the new Backward Regions Grant Fund, to ensure that at least in the 150 or so districts covered by these programmes, projects related to irrigation and water management receive priority. In other districts, the AIBP (Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme) and the RIDF (Rural Infrastructure Development Fund) schemes should be used to focus on irrigation and water management programmes, and the AIBP should be further enhanced for this purpose.

According to the mid-term review, completing nine ongoing mega irrigation projects (in West Bengal, Rajasthan, Bihar, Punjab, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra) will cost about Rs27,700 crore.