The monthly targets under Chief Minister Dashboard ‘Utkarsh’ should be achieved with proper inter-departmental coordination. The chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said this while addressing officials of Agriculture and Horticulture department as part of the ongoing review of various departments under Utkarsh. He also released the logo of Centre for Aromatic Plants on the occasion.
The chief minister stressed that all possible efforts should be undertaken to meet the target of doubling the income of farmers by 2022.
Reviewing works of the agriculture department, the chief minister directed officials to ensure that the soil health cards being issued to farmers are used as intended. Special focus should be laid on ensuring that the farmers in mountainous regions benefit from the soil health card. Officials were also directed to ensure that claims being received under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana are addressed swiftly. Special attention should be given to farm machinery bank facility to enable small and marginal farmers to access farming equipment. In addition to encouraging integrated farming, efforts should also be made to ascertain how to enhance the production of traditional crops. Farmers should also be encouraged for this. Rawat also sought information about registration of beneficiaries under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi. The availability of employment at the ground level in agriculture and horticulture sectors should also be evaluated. Before filling the vacant posts in horticulture department, the status of total posts in agriculture and horticulture department should be ascertained and after that recruitment to the surplus posts should be facilitated.
Officials informed in the meeting that under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, about 85 per cent of the beneficiaries have been registered. Work has been started in all the 3,900 clusters under the traditional agriculture scheme. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana 69,641 claims have been reimbursed this year. Under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, a sum of Rs 165.97 crore has been distributed among 5.50 lakh farmers, informed officials.
Reviewing horticulture department, Rawat said that growth centres should be developed for production of silk and items made from it. This will also provide employment opportunities to the locals. He stressed on the need for strengthening mobile teams for providing facilities to the farmers. The CM also stressed on finding effective measures to prevent damage caused by wildlife to agriculture and horticulture. Efforts should also be made to increase the production and yield of aromatic, medicinal and horticultural crops. The State’s Agriculture minister Subodh Uniyal, chief secretary Utpal Kumar Singh, additional chief secretaries Om Prakash and Radha Raturi, secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram and other departmental officials were also present in the meeting.