GOVERNMENT OF ANDHRA PRADESH

NOTE ON RAIN SHADOW AREAS DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT

BIO-DIESEL PROGRAMME – 2006-07

1. Commissioner, Rural Development is dealing with implementation and monitoring of the Bio-diesel plantation programme in 13 districts through Project Directors, DWMA.
   
2. The RSAD Department is looking after the issues like Bio-diesel policy, procurement price, marketing, promoting entrepreneurship and other technical matters associated with Bio-diesel Plantation Programme.
   
3. In order to promote public-private partnership, Government has decided to involve entrepreneurs/facilitators in Bio-diesel plantation programme. These facilitators shall act as a ling between farmers and District administrators, promote awareness and impart training to farmers, facilitate bank tie-up, provide technical support and ensure buy-back guarantee for bio-diesel seed.
   
4. The Sub-committee of Taskforce on bio-diesel has finalized a list of 16 entrepreneurs, who have been requested to visit the districts proposed and interact with the concerned farmers and officials for taking further action of allotment of specific areas for the proposed public/private partnership.
   
5. One entrepreneur, M/s Roshini Bio-tech Pvt. Ltd., has been allotted Mahabubnagar, Anantapur and Kadapa districts under Public private partnership for Pongamia plantation.
   
6. Government has enhanced Minimum Support Price (MSP) from Rs.6/- to 10/- for procurement of Pongamia Seeds to encourage farmers to take up Bio-diesel plantation programme in the waste and marginal lands and to provide employment opportunities in the rural and tribal areas of the State through A.P Oil fed and Girijan Corporation.

R&D PLAN ON JATROPHA 2005-2008:

1. Government has sanctioned a Comprehensive R&B Plan for Jatropha for Rs.580.65 lakhs over a period of three years to provide systematic research h and development support.
   
2. The Institutions connected with programme are:
   
   
   ANGRAU: Acharya N.G.Ranga Agricultural University
   ICRISAT: International Coprps Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics.
   CRIDA: Central Research Institute for Dry land Agriculture.
   NBPGRI: National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources
   DOR: Directorate of Oil Seeds Research
   IICT: Indian Institute of Chemical Technology.
   
3. Activities proposed by ANGRAU and other national institutes.
   
4. Collection of germplllasm by NBPGRI both from within the State and outside.

• Molecular characterization of Jatropha and multiplication of elite planting material through tissue culture by DOR.
  
• Evaluation and standardization of agro-techniques by ANGRAU, CRIDA and ICRISAT.
  
• ON-station trials at three research stations and on-farm trials @ 10 hectares in each district.
  
• Study of physiochemical properties of Jatropha seeds and oil and process development for the preparation of bio-diesel.
  
• f. amount released so far:
  
  

  2005-2006	2006-07
  IICT Rs.12.50 lakhs	Rs. 13.00 lakhs
  NBPGR Rs.05.00 lakhs	Rs. 05.60 lakhs
  DOR Rs.10.00 lakhs	Rs. 01.70 lakhs
  CRIDA Rs.22.00 lakhs	Rs. 09.42 lakhs
  ICRISAT Rs.22.00 lakhs	Rs. 14.00 lakhs
  ANGARAU Rs.27.00 lakhs	Rs. 07.00 lakhs
  Rs.98.50 lakhs	Rs.50.72 lakhs

  
  
• Pongamia also has been included under this programme from 2006 onwards.

CLOUD SEEDING PROGRAMME 2006-2007

1. Govt. has permitted the Center for Atmospheric, Science and Weather Modification Technology (CASWMT) of JNTU to take up cloud seeding programme in 10 RSAD districts utilizing 2 aircraft and 2 radars with an estimated cost of Rs.15.00 crores.
   
2. The Cloud Seeding Operations has been conducted w.e.f 19-9-2006 to 17-12-2006 in 10RSAD Dist. i.e., Prakasam, Nellore , Guntur , Chittoor, Kadapa, Ananthapur, Kurnool , Mahabubnagar, Nalgonda and R.R.Districts. As per the preliminary report of the JNTU, 15% increase of rainfall is attribute to Cloud Seeding Operations that is equivalent to 18.3 TMC.
   
3. The Evaluation Committee has been constituted for evaluating the Cloud Seeding Operation, 2006 and its report is awaited from JNTU.