Inaugurating the four-day `Agro Advantage Maharashtra global investors convention', Prime Minister A B Vajpayee announced an ambitious five-point action plan for the time bound prosperity of the farmers. However he was non commital on the financial assistance to the rain-affected farmers or granting five-year extension to the Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme as demanded by the State Government.

Vajpayee said he has taken note of the request made by Chief Minister Manohar Joshi and Deputy Chief Minister Gopinath Munde on granting assistance to the aggrieved farmers and extension for the cotton scheme.

``We will consider granting financial assistance after we receive a scheme from your government. So far as the Monopoly Cotton Procurement Scheme is concerned, at the moment, one year's extension has already been granted for it,''Vajpayee said.

Both Joshi and Munde had exepcted that Vajpayee will make an announcement on financial assistance to the flood-hit farmers as he granted in Andhra Pradesh and extend the cotton scheme for five years. But from Vajpayee's observations, it was clear that the alliance government was yet to approach the Centre despite the fact that damage caused by heavy rains was estimated at Rs 800 crore.

In his brief prepared speech, Vajpayee made it clear that his government was committed to ensure propsperity of farmers and it was treating the industrial sector on par with the farm sector.

``The new 5-point plan will certainly boost food-processing and agro-based industries and has been aimed that properity of farmers through maximisation of value-addition in much neglected agriculture sector,'' he said, adding, a highlevel task force headed by Union Agriculture Minister Som Pal has also been set up to make recommendations on agro-industries management policy.

``Besides Som Pal, the task force, whichhas been asked to submit its report within three months, will have nominees of the state government as well as agriculture universities,'' Vajpayee said.

Elaborating on the five-point action plan, Vajpayee said the idea is to set up a small farmers agro-business consortium (SFAC) to function as a high level coordination committee, strengthening of the futures market in agriculture produce, promotion of exports of farm produce, new national rural cooperatives policy and above all the harnessing of information technology and agro-business.

In the changed atmosphere, the SFAC will have to play a more vital role, particularly in promoting public and private investments in agro-business, with emphasis on North-Eastern and backward areas. ``I have been informed that Maharashtra has already taken a lead in undertaking a pilot project in computerisation of 70 villages in Warna tehsil of Satara district. While I am sure that the project will be extended to all the district, '' he added.