A Chinese political advisor has suggested auditing the huge amount of agricultural budget for the year, in an effort to prevent misuse of the government fund and safeguard farmers' interests.

"Maybe an auditing program could be launched on the fund this year to ensure that it goes to the farmers instead of corrupt officials," said Xu Kuangdi, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the top advisory body, at a panel discussion held on the sidelines of the ongoing CPPCC annual session.

China plans to earmark 339.7 billion yuan (about US$43 billion) for agriculture, rural areas and farmers in 2006, 42.2 billion yuan more than last year, said Premier Wen Jiabao while presenting his annual work report at the opening meeting of the current session of the 10th National People's Congress  (NPC), China's legislature, on Sunday.

Xu expressed his deep concern at the panel discussion attended by members of the Communist Party of China that farmers and agricultural projects may not get the due amount of the budget as corruption still exists in China's vast rural areas.

Xu did not say when and how the auditing program should be carried out, as the agricultural budget is still under examination of NPC deputies for final approval.

The Chinese leadership is determined to build a socialist new countryside and accelerate the rural development to reduce the yawning gap between rural and urban areas, which is fully explained and advocated in the draft blueprint of China's economic and social development for 2006-2010 pending approval of lawmakers.

(Xinhua News Agency March 9, 2006)