While inaugurating Krishi Mahotsav Ravi-2017 at Kandoliya ground in Paurion Friday, Pauri MlA Mukesh Koli sounded concerned over the migration spree continuing from the mountainous villages of the districts.
He stressed on revamping agriculture in the hills as an antidote to migration. “It is indeed shocking that while the people from neighbouring Nepal are earning livelihood through agriculturally using the lands here the people who hail from here are migrating to other places. We must work out plans on how to convert the infertile lands into fertile ones so as to transform the agricultural scenario of the district,” he said.
He also sounded anguished over the people losing emotional bonds with the lands that begot and nurtured them for generations. “This is a worrisome trend which must be arrested at any cost,” the MlA said.
He exhorted the officers and others to visit the out of the way villages and educate the villagers there about the modern technique of cultivation so as to enable them to take renewed interest in agriculture and reap rich dividends from it. “If Krishi Mahotsav ends here with a few people mouthing platitudes it would be most unfortunate. The objective behind it is to revive agriculture in tune with the changes happening everywhere in terms of technique and implements,” he said.
District Magistrate Sushil Kumar who was also present said that 14 Krishi Vikas Raths which would move to Naaya Panchayats would be instrumental in educating the villagers about how the yields from cultivation can be substantially increased through extensive use of the modern techniques. “We are all trying to rise to the challenge of doubling the farmers’ income by 2020 in line with the mission envisaged by the Prime Minister,” he said while asking the agriculture department and the institutions connected with agriculture to take the new techniques to the remotest of the villages.
He also expressed concern over unabated migration and said that Beerokhal block has set an example of how migration can be stopped through transforming agriculture in tune with the technological advancement.
The district chief agriculture officer Devendra Sigh Rana dwelt at length on several schemes framed for the farmer and gave information on seeds, fertiliser and agricultural equipments. Earlier, 14 Krishi Raths were flagged off and power tillers were distributed among three farmers from villages Gadoli and Dunk.