The process of merger of Agriculture and Horticulture departments in the State has started after the State Government took a decision on the same, said the Agriculture Minister Subodh Uniyal while talking to the media persons at State party office on Thursday. He said that the State Government has taken a target to double the income of its farmers by the year 2022 and the department is working on it. He said that a provision of Rs 700 Crore has been made in the budget for it. The State Government has taken a cluster based approach wherein the farmers are encouraged to grow similar type of crops which help in its easy marketing. The Minister informed that earlier 550 clusters were earmarked but now 3000 of them are identified for promoting traditional agricultural.
He said that Pandit Deen Dayal Updhyaya cooperative, Kisan Kalyan Yojana under which a loan up to Rs 1 lakh is given on an interest rate of only two percent, is getting very good response and claimed the target of doubling the income of farmers would be completed much before the stipulated target. Terming the transport agreement between, Uttar Pradesh (UP) and Uttarakhand as historic, the Minister hoped that all outstanding issues with UP would be resolved.
He said that the allegations of corruption in State Infrastructural and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand limited (SIIDCUl) are unfortunate and the State Government has ordered an inquiry on the issue. Uniyal termed the opposition of Congress on delimitation of municipal bodies as without reason and claimed that urbanization would pave way for development of the state and would curb the menace of migration.
Uniyal was at the State party office on the day to attend the Janata Milan programme. The Minister met about 50 persons during the programme and addressed their grievances.