Announcing the decisions taken by the State Cabinet today, Joshi said the State government is expecting a positive feedback from the investors. ``Additional land owned by agricultural universities and different government corporations will be provided to investors to start an agro industry in a joint venture with the universities or corporations on 30 years lease. Various Agricultural Produce Market Committees (APMCs) will be allowed to set up infrastructural facilities (like cold storages) in joint venture with private investors,'' Joshi announced. He added that the additional land lying unused with universities and APMCs for several years will be utilised for commercialreasons.

Power tariff for cooperative agro industries like tissue culture, mushroom cultivation, floriculture will be reduced, announced Joshi. ``The power tariff for these industries has been cut down to Rs 2.25 per unit from Rs 4.25 per unit. On the same lines, the power tariff for cooling plants and cold storage units set up by private or public sector investors will be reduced to Rs 1.50 per unit from Rs 4 per unit,'' he added.

He informed that cashew processing industry will get the status of highly technical agricultural process and the power tariff will be Rs 2.25 per unit. Besides, the license issued by the FDA for Agricultural food processing industries can now be renewed every five years instead of the present two years, he said.

``The Gram Panchayats will not charge property tax to the polyhouses and greenhouses. Also, certain land will be reserved for agricultural industries in five star and other industrial estates statewide, the Chief Minister informed.

To coordinate agriculturaldevelopment and watershed management, a joint committee of the Agriculture and the Irrigation department will be set up with an objective to provide water to maximum agricultural land. A new Agro-Industrial Promotion scheme will also be announced and the Maharashtra Agriculture and Industrial Development Corporation will work as a nodal agency for implementing the scheme, the Chief Minister announced.