More than a thousand women of sakhi mandals and farmers of Khunti district participated in an interaction with Rural Development Minister Neelkanth Singh Munda on Wednesday in Khunti. The programme, organised by the State rural development department and Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society, proved to be beneficial for the participants as they did not just get the chance to know about various schemes of the Government but were also given farming tips on the occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Neelkanth Singh Munda appreciated the work done by sakhi mandals of the district. "The department assures to double the income of farmers by 2022," he assured. Munda encouraged the participants to work together for the overall development of their villages.
Project director of Jharkhand Opportunities for Harnessing Rural Growth (JOHAR) Project, Bipin Bihari informed the women of Sakhi Mandals about the alternative options for income generation through the project. "The project promotes climate resilient agriculture by focusing on round the year cultivation of vegetables, pulses and oil seeds. Also, it focuses on micro irrigation and promotes income generation through sectors like fisheries, livestock rearing and others," he said.
On the occasion, the minister handed over two cheques of Rs 10 lakh each to Nari Shakti Kisan Producer Company Ltd. based in Murhu block of Khunti for establishing an office and as equity grant.
A documentary film was also screened about the various programmes of rural development department being implemented in Khunti district. The officers present on the occasion informed that a total of Rs. 201 crore has been spent in Khunti under Pradhanmantri Awas Yojana-Gramin for providing housing to the villagers. On the occasion, new beneficiaries selected under the scheme were given letter of approval and money was transferred to their accounts through direct benefit transfer.
After the inaugural ceremony, experts of Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP) Lucknow provided training on scientific farming of aromatic plants to the farmers.
During the programme, the minister also inaugurated a website of Amreshwar Dham Shiv Mandir situated in Angrabari village of Khunti. With the help of the website the devotees can see the temple premises online and also donate funds for the development of the temple.