CM seeks Centre’s nod for cluster-based farming project

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 24

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat today met Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh in New Delhi. He apprised him of agriculture-related schemes in the state in detail. The Chief Minister urged the Union Minister to approve a cluster-based farming project, to be funded by the World Bank, worth Rs 71,470.00 lakh for a period of seven years for Uttarakhand. 

The Chief Minister informed the Union Agriculture Minister that 88 per cent agricultural land was non-irrigated in the state, besides the fact that agriculture was a major source of livelihood of the people of the state and 91 per cent farmers fell under the frontier and small category. Owing to the lack of use of latest technology in farming, the state was not getting the desired results in the sector, he said.

Rawat said cluster-based schemes had been prepared for the area considering the local ground realties. He said a project worth Rs 71,470.00 lakh for developing 400 clusters comprising local crop seeds production, organic farming, mechanisation of agriculture, moisture conservation, development of irrigation facilities, distribution, post harvest, technology, skill development, etc had been examined by the state Agriculture Department.

The Chief Minister also urged him to approve a special package similar to Jammu and Kashmir worth Rs 500 crore as a compensation for loss of tropical fruits due to disaster.

Rawat requested him to dispatch the proposal of Rs 700 crore from the World Bank to the Department of Economic Affairs for the overall development of horticulture at the earliest.