Steps will be taken to protect crops from wild animals: CM

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 15

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Tuesday said the government would take appropriate steps to protect crops from wild animals and monkeys, besides ensuring effective measures to check forest fires. The Chief Minister was addressing the deputation of Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, which had come to apprise him of various issues pertaining to the farming community.

He assured the delegation that the state government was committed to ensuring the welfare of farmers and horticulturists. “Several schemes have been launched to benefit the farmers so that their income can be doubled by 2022. We have introduced the Mukhyamantri Khet Sanrakshan Yojana under which a subsidy of 80 per cent is being given for installing solar fencing to protect crops from wild animals,” he said. A provision of Rs 35 crore has been made under the scheme.

Thakur said a new scheme “Van Samridhi, Jan Samridhi Yojana” aimed at providing training to local people in collection and value addition of various forest produce to supplement their income. He said the “Saur Sinchai Yojana” had been launched. Under the scheme, the state would install solar pumps to lift water for irrigation purposes. He said an amount of Rs 200 crore would be spent under the scheme in five years. The government had declared monkeys as vermin in various parts of the state so that crops could be protected. He assured the deputation that their genuine issues would be considered sympathetically and all possible steps would be taken to minimise their grievances.

President of the Kisan Sangh Som Dev Sharma urged the Chief Minister to undertake remapping of agro-climatic zones for guiding the farmers to choose the crop as per soil and climatic conditions. He also urged the Chief Minister for simplification of procedure for Kisan credit card and Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana.