Agriculture Policy for Jharkhand is likely to be released soon. Agriculture Minister Randhir Kumar Singh, counting on the achievements of the State Government on completing one year in office, said that breaking the bottleneck, the Government has succeeded in preparing agriculture policy for Jharkhand which was being given final touch to be released within a month.
“As the policy could not be made in the last 14 years, this Government in consultation with the farmers individually and other farming organisations, has succeeded in giving a final shape to the Agriculture Policy for the State which is ready for release within a month or so,” said the Minister.
Referring to the status of relief package to be provided by the Central Government after to the State was declared drought-hit by the Government, the Agriculture Minister said that a Central team was to visit the State soon, which, after making an assessment will propose the Centre to release the fund for the same.
“Today I talked to the Union Agriculture Minister who said that a Central team, involving representatives of eight Ministries has been formed, which is likely to visit the State within a week to assess the ground realities. The funds will be released only after the recommendation given by the central team,” said the Minister. The Union Minister has assured that they will try to fulfill the demand sought from the State Government so that proper relief work could be carried out in the state,” he said.
Meanwhile, he added, adequate support is being provided to the farmers by the State Government.
The State Government, taking a nod from the State Cabinet on December 1, declared Jharkhand as drought-hit and requested the Centre to release drought relief fund for the farmers.
Referring to the vacant land of Bazaar Samitis left idle across the State, the Minister said there was a plan to raise shops and ‘haats’ on those lands.
“We are planning to construct shops and ‘haats’ on those lands and allot them to the educated unemployed on nominal rent. The fund raised from it will be further utilised in strengthening Bazaar Samitis,” said Singh.
According to Singh, “Establishment of Agriculture Research Institute (ARI) at Gauriakarma in Barhi has been the biggest achievement of the year through which, we will bring smiles on the faces of famers of this region by bringing second green revolution in Purvanchal.”
Singh further said that a new revolution has been brought by combining Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Cooperative departments which has started benefitting the farmers. The minister also added that several works are also being done in the field of vegetable and flower produce following which there has been a steep increase in their production in the State.
In addition to that, BPl women, in order to improve their living conditions, are being provided a pair of cows. A scheme involving Rs 328 crore to promote milk production in the State has also been submitted to Niti Aayog.
Under Vidhwa Samman Yojana of the State Government, over 1500 widows have been given provided a set of four female and one male goat to sustain themselves through them.
A scheme of `179.78 has also been sanctioned for dairy development to be carried out under Jharkhand Milk Federation in the next four months. Under the scheme, construction of a dairy plant at Hotwar in Ranchi will be completed within this financial year.
A remarkable achievement has also been attained by the State Government in the field of fisheries where several training centres have been established across the state imparting training to over 92,000 fishermen coming from across the State.
“17 District Fishery Officers were also appointed by Jharkhand Public Service Commission for the first time after the State came into being,” said the Minister.
Talking about the achievements of cooperative department, the Minister said that out of the 4383 PACS and lAMPS functional in the state, 480 of them have been provided computers in them. Within the last one year, 100 MT capacities of godowns have also been constructed in 200 PACS.