Rs 328 cr earmarked for development of agriculture: Kaul Singh

Tribune News Service

Mandi, December 28

Health and Family Welfare Minister Kaul Singh Thakur said Rs 328 crore had been earmarked in the current financial year for the development of agriculture.

“For the betterment of farmers, the state government has launched several welfare schemes,” he said, while presiding over a one-day training camp for farmers on Saturday.

Under the Dr Yashwant Singh Parmar Farmer Self-employment Scheme, farmers were given 85 per cent financial assistance for the construction of polyhouses, he said. A sum of Rs 2 crore had been spent under the scheme in Mandi district this year, he added.

Under the Chief Minister Model Village scheme, one village in each Assembly constituency would be developed as model agriculture village and Rs 1 crore was being spent on the scheme in the fiscal year, Kaul Singh stated.

He said a free soil testing laboratory had been established at Sundernagar and 14,500 soil health cards would be given to farmers after examining their samples in the current financial year. For 50 per cent grant on purchase of maize seed, Rs 1.19 crore had been disbursed among farmers in Mandi district this year, he said.

He exhorted farmers to grow cash crops and use scientific techniques in farming to improve their financial status.

Later, the minister presided over a prize distribution function of Government Senior Secondary School at Shivabadaar under Drang Assembly constituency.

He also laid the foundation stone of a building to be constructed at a cost of Rs 22 lakh and inaugurated four rooms of the school constructed at the cost of Rs 4.60 lakh.