(a) whether the Union Government have sanctioned financial assistance to Kerala
Government to undertake plant protection measures for effective control of MITES;
(b) whether the amount sanctioned has been released;
(c) if so, the details thereof; and
(d) if not, the reasons for its delay?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE
(SHRI SBPBK SATYANARAYANA RAO)
(a) to (d) The Government of India has sanctioned and released Rs.713.025 lakhs
to the Government of Kerala during 1999-2000 for Coconut Development Board’s
Programme of ‘Integrated Farming in Coconut Holdings for Productivity Improvement’.
Out of this an amount of Rs.488.025 lakhs has been utilised for carrying out plant
protection measures for the control of Coconut mite. In addition, the Government has
also revalidated unspent balance of Rs.96 lakhs released during 1998-99 as additional
assistance for mite control during 1999-2000.
The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) under the World Bank aided
Project namely National Agriculture Technology Project (NATP) sanctioned Rs.30.32
lakhs to Kerala for a Research Scheme entitled ‘Development of IPM Package for
eriophyid mite of Coconut’. An amount of Rs.22.08 lakhs has been released for the first
half of year 2000 for the Research Centres of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka
States.