Following the directions of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a high powered committee of Chief Ministers has been constituted for ‘Transformation for Indian Agriculture.

 The committee will submit its report within two month. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis will be the Convenor of the committee and NITi Aayog member Ramesh Chand will be member secretary. The Chief Ministers of Karnataka, Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, UP, MP and Union Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj will be other members.

Officials of aAgriculture Ministry said that the Committee to discuss measures for transformation of agriculture and raising farmers’ income. The committee will also suggest the modalities for adoption and time bound implementation of agriculture sector reforms.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced setting up a high powered committee on structural reforms in agriculture at the NITI Aayog’s governing council meeting on June 15.

According to the Terms of Reference (ToR), the Committee would discuss measures for transformation of agriculture and raising farmers’ income and suggest modalities for adoption and time bound implementation of following reforms by States/UTs; to examine various provisions of Essential Commodity Act (ECA), 1955 and situations that require ECA and to suggest changes in the ECA to attract private investments in agricultural marketing and infrastructure; to suggest mechanism for linking of market reforms with e-NAM, GRAM and other relevant Centrally Sponsored Schemes.

The Committee will also propose any other relevant reforms for transformation of agriculture sector and raising farmers’ income and will suggest measures to upgrade agri-technology to global standards and improve access of farmers to quality seed, plant propagation material and farm machinery in agriculturally advance countries.