While the Government claims to be conducting various drives and organising events for the benefit of farmers and cultivators in Uttarakhand, farmers here complain that they have not been made aware of such initiatives.
In the border area block of Joshimath, the Agriculture department has neither seeds nor farming tools to provide to the farmers. Recently, the State Government had launched a drive to inform farmers about various Government schemes for their welfare. The Government aims to inform farmers about innovations in farming, measures for increasing yield and common diseases and pests afflicting crops through this drive. However, farmers here complain that most of them are unaware of this drive with departmental officials organising events as part of the drive in the Gram Panchayat of their choice without publicising the event.
Due to the lack of publicity and departmental apathy, the farmers living in remote regions are not even coming to know of the government drive. The Gram Pradhan of Subhai village, Ranjit lal said that a Kisan Rath arrived in the Tapovan Gram Panchayat area of Joshimath on Thursday morning but information about it was given in the afternoon. Subhai village is a remote village in Joshimath block situated about eight kilometres from the nearest road. A resident of Subhai said, “Having been informed in the afternoon about the Krishi Rath’s arrival, we would not be able to reach there on time. Is the government drive intended only for farmers living near motor roadsIJ”
The Agri Department office in Joshimath presents another example of departmental inefficiency.