Predicting that Bhoomi sena can transform the face the Uttar Pradesh, Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said that through this innovative scheme the landless farmers are now getting land as well as employment.
Chief Minister said in a function held here on Thursday while launching fresh initiatives in Bhoomi Sena scheme and signing agreements for seven new solar power projects. ''Our only motive is to take the state to the path of development and launch schemes that can help farmers,poor and religious minority," Yadav said.
Claiming that the Bhoomi Sena scheme is the brain-child of the Samajwadi Party, Chief Minister said the scheme would benefit the marginal farmers and there would be increase in agriculture area.
'Bhoomi Sena' was launched by Mulayam Singh Yadav in 1990 in which the farmers themselves reclaimed the barren,rugged, flood affected lands with Government assistance as it pays Rs 2500 per acre to purchase gypsum and othermaterials needed to reclaim the land. The government also pays labour charge to the farmers for working in his barren land.
The CM launched a fresh target of reclamation of 59.105 hectares of land in 2013-14 while inaugurating the 34,234 hectares of land reclaimed in the last financial year.
UP Agriculture Minister Anand Singh said that there was an urgent need for increasing the agriculture area due to urbanisation and increase in population. Though the situation is not so good in the country as several lakh tonnes of food grains goes waste every year effort should be made for safe storage and increase in the production of grains,'' he said.
In 2012-13, the state government spent Rs 50 crore to reclaim around 34,234 hectares of land that benefited 11,354 farmers.
On this occasion the Government also signed letter to intent with private investors to set up solar power units in UP. Akhilesh Yadav said that the investment has started pouring in the state and in the coming days several projects would be launched.
''We have provided all incentives of the investors and all their problems have been sorted out,'' he said.Stressing the need for giving importance to solar energy in the rural areas he said the farmers should also be made aware of the need to adopt new technologies and method to increase their yield.
On the occasion, the UP Non-Conventional Energy Development Agency (UPNEDA) and National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding to set up a 100 megawatt joint venture grid connection solar power project in Jalaun in Bundelkhand region.
The CM also gave away letter of Intent to seven investors for setting up of 130 mw capacity grid connecting solar power generation projects in different parts of the state.
Officials of the UP Power Corporation limited (UPPCl) also signed a long term agreement with lanco on electricity purchase. UPPCl will purchase 423.9 MW of power in the next 25 years.