Chattisgarh

Forest & Agro Based Industry

State Government has set up a Minor Forest Produce Costs and Prices Committee to recommend minimum support crises for all minor forest produce except Tendu leaves. An institutional arrangement has been created in Chhattisgarh for fixing minimum support prices for minor forest produce covering around 120 minor forest produce items (except Tendu leaves).Special efforts are being made to involve Gram Sabhas in the protection of forests and collection of minor forest produce.

Process of reforms of agriculture markets (Mandis) initiated . Group of Ministers set up .

A host of irrigation projects have been finalized and taken up with NABARD for financing . Through scarcity releif works and irrigation projects, an additional 50,000 hectares has been brought under irrigation in the year 2000-01.

State proposes to set up a Food Park for processing of vegetables and fruits.

State working towards application of IT for the networking of commodity markets or mandis as part of the CHOICE (Chhattisgarh Online Information for Citizen Empowerment) project.

Setting up special Agriculture Schools/ Agricultural Training Institutes in each district.

State proposing to set up a Sugar Mill to strengthen the cooperative sector. Preparation work has been initiated.

Accorded 6000 pump sets connections in the first 9 months of state's formation. A robust network of sub-stations has been built across the State.

While laying emphasis on improvement in paddy yields, the State is diversifying its agriculture with emphasis on pulses, oil seeds and horticulture.proposals for major projets in horticulture have been submitted to GOI.

Introduced Indira Hareli Saheli Scheme - under which farmers and persons below poverty line are assignd plots of marginal and waste land to grow trees with the incentive that they will have the right to the usufruct.

Biotechnology

• Biotechnology has been identified as a thrust sector in the State's Industrial Policy. The Bastar region is one of the richest biospheres in India. The State is endowed with about 22 varieties of forest. Chhattisgarh has more species of wild paddy and is extremely rich in aromatic plants used in herbal medicine. The State has vast land of virgin biosphere reserves with people having established traditional knowledge in this field.
  
  
• The State has drafted a detailed biodiversity plan.
  
  
• The State has established protected preserves - three national parks and eleven sanctuaries covering a forest area of 6471 sq.kms. (One fourth of total area under forest).
  
  
• The State envisages setting up of a network of Bio Parks and Biotech Parks. It is planned to create ex situ Bio Parks in identified areas with provision of high quality infrastructure at competitive rates along with relevant integrated services to biotech manufacturing units. It is proposed to provide one-stop services such as data base on human resource availability, networking with academic centres of research and industry. The focus of these Parks would be on Biotechnology Industries of relevance to agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, forestry and environment protection. Agri-Biotechnology would have rice research, vegetables and tubers as the thrust areas. The State would also encourage the development of sericulture, oilseeds and fisheries.
  
  
• The three State Universities have on-going collaboration with institutions of repute in Biotechnology both national and international. The State is encouraging the setting up of world class centres of excellence for teaching, research and development in Biotechnology.
  
  
• Educational institutions would be encouraged to promote short and long duration training modules to meet the requirement of trained technicians for Biotechnology industry in Chhattisgarh.
  
  
• State proposes to create bio-awareness thrust through publications, seminars, conferences, etc.
  
  
• Incentives for Biotechnology industries located in the State:
  
  
• The State Industrial Policy treats the Biotechnology industries as part of the "sunrise industries" along with IT industry and aims to promote technology and knowledge. The set of incentives relates to attractive power tariffs, permission for captive power units, exemptions in entry tax, freedom in locating non-polluting industries including. Biotechnology, package deals in mega projects, easy availability and allocation of land, exemptions from payment of electricity duty in respect of captive generating units upto 150 KVA, infrastructure support, incentives for ISO certification, incentives specific to industrially backward areas, etc. Private investment is encouraged in all areas of Biotechnology. Biotechnology industries located in rural areas are also eligible for all incentives and exemptions available to rural industries in the State.