Himachal Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has said the World Bank funded around Rs 700 crore Integrated Development Project (IDP) on source sustainability and climate resilient rain-fed agriculture, will certainly change the scenario of farmers dependant on rainfall in the state.
The project is likely to start from April this year, said the Chief Minister in a meeting with a delegation of the World Bank team along with project officials.
The project is likely to focus on livelihood of farmers by ensuring double fold increase in their income through farming practices and allied activities, said he.
To be implemented in the ratio 80:20 by World Bank through Government of India and the State Government, the project is likely to bring within its ambit the small ruminants and will also provide training to the rural youth in various livelihood activities thereby opening avenues of employment to them.
The Chief Minister said that the project is likely to strengthen the existing water sources which have their origin mostly from high-lying catchment and forest areas.
The project will also go a long way in realising the dream of Prime Minister Narendar Modi of zero-budgeting natural farming as it will be popularised more after the project will be implemented, said he.
Thakur said that the farmers would also benefit by way of enhancing milk production and its processing besides value addition. The fisheries would also be given added boost in rural areas of the state besides vermi-compost was likely to get fillip, added he.