Agriculture Minister Randheer Singh has said that the Government was in favour of granting industry status to agriculture in the State.
Speaking at an agriculture awareness programme- cum-ksan mela organised in Gumla, the Minister added that the focus of both the Central as well as the State Governments was on villages and farmers.
“The Government has decided to increase profit of farmers two fold by 2022 and also to strengthen cooperative banks and women groups in order to free farmers from the mediators,” said the minister. He also suggested farmers present in the programme to adopt bio-agriculture and also to do activities like animal husbandry and horticulture.
Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, lauding the hard work done by farmers, said that their love for fields could never be disputed.
“70 per cent of the population are dependent on agriculture with over 25 per cent of the agricultural land,” said the CS. Calling agriculture as the back bone of the rural economy, she added that development of a village was not possible without agriculture.
“Focus of this Government is village, poor and agriculture and reaching out to them is the main target. Agriculture has to be connected with employment hence, the related organizations and cooperative institutions are being strengthened,” said the CS. Farmers are being promoted to make barren lands fertile, she said.
“There are ample avenues of fish culture in the State and hence, efforts are being made in the direction of bringing scientific findings to the farmers,” said the CS. “Thinking of development without social and economic development was meaningless hence, it was important to discuss regarding the social evils during gram sabhas,” she added.
The CS also appealed people to actively take part in development by taking part in gram sabhas. She asked villagers not to allow Naxalism flourish again in their area and assured that the Government was always with them.
Social activist Padma Sri Ashok Bhagat, addressing the gathering, said that protection of land and forest was the responsibility of everyone.
“Contribution of farmers in keeping the fields fertile is commendable and women play a worthy role in tribal community,” said Bhagat. “The Government has been providing ample opportunities to the farmers and hence there was a need to take advantage of that by organizing and making them aware,” he said.
Agriculture Secretary Pooja Singhal also said that bringing resources of agriculture to the farmers was the prime motive of the programme. She said that the Government will dispose of 100 per cent claims of crop insurances.