National Rainfed area Authority
The
Government has set up National Rainfed Area Authority (NRAA), an expert body to
provide the much-needed knowledge inputs regarding systematic up-gradation and
management of country’s dry land and rainfed agriculture.
An
order for setting up the Authority was issued on 3rd November, 2006.
The
NRAA has a two tier structure. The
first tier is the Governing Board that provides necessary leadership and
appropriate coordination in implementation of programmes. The Governing Board is chaired by Union
Agriculture Minister and co-chaired by Union Minister of Rural Development. The second tier is the Executive Committee
consisting of technical experts and representatives from stakeholder
Ministries. The Executive Committee
would be headed by a full time Chief Executive Officer who should be a
recognized expert on the subject. The
CEO will be supported by five full-time technical experts. The Authority is serviced by the Ministry of
Agriculture and is located at Delhi.
The
Authority’s mandate is wider than mere water conservation and covers all
aspects of sustainable and holistic development of rainfed areas, including
appropriate farming and livelihood system approaches. Issues pertaining to
landless and marginal farmers, who constitute the large majority of inhabitants
of rainfed areas, are to be addressed by the Authority. The mandate of the Authority includes:
- To prepare a perspective plan, outlining the
national strategy and road map for holistic and sustainable development of
rainfed farming areas.
- To evolve common guidelines for all schemes of
different Ministries including EAPs for development of Rainfed/Dryland
Farming systems.
- To coordinate and bring convergence within and
among agricultural and wasteland development programmes being implemented
in rainfed areas of the country.
- To identify rainfed areas in different States
which need priority attention and prepared watershed development
programmes for integrated natural resource management in consultation with
States, focusing on multi dimensional crop, livestock, horticulture,
agri-pasture integrated systems and programmes for landless farming
communities.
- To identify gaps in input supply, credit
availability, dissemination of appropriate technology and other
requirements relevant for rainfed areas.
- Guide the implementing agencies on priority
setting and monitor the specific interventions required.
- To develop plans/programmes for capacity
building of Centre/State Government functionaries in rainfed areas.
- To suggest modalities to strengthen National and
State Level Institutions concerned with Rainfed/Dryland areas, and
establish institutional linkages with prioritized watersheds.
- Monitor disbursement of rural credit/insurance
cover/safety net programmes developed for rainfed areas.
- Set the research agenda including a critical
appraisal of on-going programmes and promote diffusion of required
knowledge for integrated farming in rainfed areas to district and lower
level authorities.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of completed
watersheds and concurrent evaluation of on-going programmes.
The
selection of the Chief Executive Officer and Technical Experts of the Authority
is under process. However, the NRAA has
started functioning with the inaugural meeting of the Governing Board held on
12th February 2007 at New Delhi under the Chairmanship of Shri
Sharad Pawar, Union Minister of Agriculture. This meeting was attended by Dr.
Raghuvansh Prasad Singh, Minister of Rural Development; Prof. Saifuddin Soz,
Minister of Water Resources; Shri A. Raja, Minister of Environment and Forests;
Secretaries of the Department of Agriculture & Cooperation, Ministries of
Rural Development and Water Resources, Additional Secretary, Ministry of
Panchayati Raj, Deputy Director General, ICAR, Executive Director, NABARD and
Shri R.V. Chavan, Farmers’ Representative.
MP:CP:backgrounder(agriculture)13.2.2007
(Release ID :24757)