The Uttar Pradesh government admitted in the Assembly on Thursday that the number of students in undergraduate and post-graduate programmes in four Agriculture universities of the state has gone down due to various reasons. Around 42 per cent seats in the Agriculture varsities did not find any students in the past three academic sessions.
Replying to a question of Samajwadi Party member Manoj Kumar Pandey during Question Hour, Agriculture minister Surya Pratap Sahi said that the decrease of students happened since 2015, mainly due to non-filling of NRI and ICAR quota, non- recognition of course and shortage of teachers.
Shahi said that the state government has identified the Agriculture varsities as centres for promoting academic excellence. The vacant position in the all faculties will be filled soon and seats in different streams for NRI and ICAR seats would be filled.
The minister said that for enabling more students to take admission in UG courses, the system of minus marking in entrance exams has been abolished and student hostels in all four universities are being renovated.
Replying to another question, the Agriculture minister said that the government would promote the famous ‘Kala Namak’ variety of rice in eastern UP.
Replying to another question by SP member Nitin Agarwal, Shahi said that that the government would ensure that farmers got remunerative prices of their produce and several measures have beeen taken to make agriculture operations profitable for the farmers.
The minister said that the state government hiked the outlay in Agriculture budget from Rs 37,000 crore to Rs 76, 682 crore and the government has already waived farm loans to small and marginal farmers worth Rs 36000 crores.
Shahi said that during the last Rabi season, the government procured a record 37 lakh MT of wheat from farmers as per minimum support price fixed by the Center.
The minister however skipped the Opposition demand of providing 100 per cent subsidy on seeds and fertilizers for farmers to raise their income, as per the promise made by the BJP during the Assembly poll.
Meanwhile, replying to an Adjournment notice moved by BSP member Ritesh Pandey during Zero Hour, Health minister Sidharthnath Singh said it was a matter of concern for the government that dengue was spreading in UP and appealed to the people to take preventive measures.
Singh admitted that this year, three deaths were reported so far with the latest one in lucknow on Wednesday. Around 104 people were also affected with the virus with lucknow alone accounting for 19.
The minister said that 10 deaths were reported and 3,101 people were infected with the virus in 2015, while the disease claimed 42 lives after a record 15,033 people were infected with the virus in 2016. He also announced that the facility of free blood test would be provided in government hospitals for dengue patients. He said that the government has made elaborate preparations to counter this virus.
Singh informed that the government has set up a protocol to be followed on treatment of dengue patients. “We have also reserved 10 beds for dengue in each district hospital and five beds in Community Health Centers (CHC) besides help desks have been set up at district hospitals for these patients. He said that the government has released Rs 4.2 crore to counter accumulation of dengue larvae by fogging and other effective means.
Opposition members however contested the claims of the Health minister, saying that most district hospitals were not carrying out blood test for of dengue and were referring patients to private hospitals which were fleecing the patients. The minister assured the members that the government would take appropriate measures for compliance of its orders.