Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan has accorded approval to new projects worth Rs 175 crore under Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY) and issued directions to expedite RKVY. He said that departmental officers should ensure utilization of amount already released and they must provide utilization certificate to the Agriculture Department by 10th February for obtaining second installment from the centre. He asked for the release of remaining financial sanctions including the State’s share in proportion to centre’s share under RKVY.
He said that encouraging results of sugarcane production achieved over the years under RKVY should be properly highlighted. Approving the scheme to build 2000 ponds in seven districts of Bundelkhand, Chief Secretary directed to begin work as soon as possible.
The Chief Secretary was presiding over the State level approval committee of RKVY on Friday. He approved the project for establishment of six laboratories in Mandi campuses and one referral laboratory at State Agricultural Management Institute Rehmankheda to test pesticide residue in fruits and vegetables. He also accorded approval for setting up of District Diseases Diagnostic laboratories worth Rs 26.86 crore in 65 districts of State by Animal Husbandry and directed to ensure necessary action in this direction. He also gave consent to scheme for establishment of 1127 goat rearing units (10 female and 1 male) and fodder production programmes for drought affected 50 districts of State. He said that farmers should be contacted and made aware to stop Anna tradition of leaving cattle free for grazing.
Ranjan also approved various schemes for promoting fisheries, sugarcane and silk production. In order to control the falling groundwater levels, he consented to the schemes for installation of solar-powered irrigation tube-wells in silk zones and for boring of 4275 tube-wells in Bundelkhand and Vindhya region. Projects for high-quality seed production of vegetables and pulses at Kanpur Agriculture University were also approved. The department has proposed special projects worth Rs 181 crore and the committee approved projects worth Rs 175 crore.
The meeting was attended by Agriculture Production Commissioner Pravir Kumar, Joint Secretary of Union government Ashish Kumar Bhutani, Principal Secretary, Agriculture Amit Mohan Prasad, Principal Secretary, Horticulture Nivedita Shukla, Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry Rajneesh Gupta, Principal Secretary, Minor Irrigation Chandra Prakash, Special Secretary, Agriculture Indradeo Patel and Director Agriculture Mukesh Kumar Srivastava along with other officials concerned.