While addressing the human development report (HDR) workshop held in Pauri on Tuesday, professor Balwant Mehta of Institute of Human Development said that the report is based on three factors – life expectancy, per capita income and rate of literacy. The District Magistrate Sushil Kumar who presided over the workshop stressed on revamping agriculture, horticulture and tourism as a means to raise the individual income and thereby to stop migration from the hills to the plains.
DM further said that in the context of the Pauri district, the rate of literacy and life expectancy is much better than most of the other districts and to raise the individual income, the government has framed a policy the objective of which is to double the income of the farmers. He further said that the cluster based agriculture that has been started this year is yielding good results. “We are for such a system in horticulture and pisciculture. However, the land consolidation scheme is hitting roadblocks due to the villagers’ lack of enthusiasm. We must convince them that consolidating the scattered lands is an imperative for raising production,” he said.
DM further informed that Pauri- Khirsu and lansdowne-Rathuvadhab circuit has been prepared for tourism development. “We are also focusing on quality education and medical infrastructure in the state-run hospitals and medical centres,” he added.
The farmers who participated in the workshop spoke of the problems they are facing.