Arun Nagpal, Co-Founder, Mrida Group
I welcome the Finance Ministers’ proposals for the Rural Economy. It is laudatory that the budget proposes a comprehensive package for all segments of Rural economy like Agriculture, Fishing & Aquaculture, Animal Husbandry, Food Processing, etc. as this shows the resolve to cover the Rural populace through the length and breadth of the country. The initiative to bring together all the stakeholders under one umbrella will help in speedy implementation of the projects and will put the focus firmly on sustainable development. The outlay of Rs.14.34 lakh crores on Rural and Agriculture sector shows the commitment of the Government to uplifting rural lives. Providing of Market linkages for produce by converting Rural Haats to Grameen Rural Markets on the lines of APMC shows that there is a realization in the government that more needs to be done for marketing of Rural produce. I only hope that there is equal focus on execution and outcomes so that actual changes take place on the ground. ')}
