The State Agriculture Minister Rajendra Singh Bhandari has directed officials in the State administration and at the district level to desist from “juggling figures” and to work towards effective execution of various schemes of the State Government aimed at the welfare of farmers. The minister said this while chairing a meet to review the functioning of the department here on Friday.
Addressing officials of the state administration and chief agriculture officers in the meeting, the minister said that the facilitating entry in the global market of the State’s produce will also help make the farmers self reliant. He said that the agriculture officers and their assistants should take the new efforts being made by the state government and the major achievements of the Government towards the fields of the farmers in Uttarakhand. He said, “Execute the schemes of the Government at the ground level and desist from juggling figures. The farmer should be paid the support price of his produce,” said Bhandari.
He directed officials to undertake pilot project on the cultivation of local traditional crops including Mandua (finger millet), Ramdana (Amaranthus) and Gahat among others in two districts of the state. Work on this pilot project should be started soon at Pokhri in Chamoli district and Dharchula in Pithoragarh district, said the minister, while also directing that `50 lakh be released soon for each of the projects’ marketing. The minister further directed that marketing centres and seed stocks for farmers should be strengthened. Bhandari told the agriculture department officials that a farmers’ meet be organised during the first week of coming December month in Dehradun. Farmers from across the state, scientists and speakers on the subject of agriculture should be invited to this meet, he said. The minister further stressed that the major achievements of the agriculture department should be publicised on a large scale through mediums like brochures, booklets, banners and hoardings at the major locations in each of the districts and blocks.