JAMMU, MAY 2: “The government is according top priority to effectively implement innovative strategies for doubling farmer’s income by 2022”, stated Union Minister of State for Development of North Eastern Region, Prime Minister Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh here today.
The Union Minister was speaking to a gathering after inaugurating Kissan Kalyan Karyashala being organized by Department of Agriculture under Gram Swaraj Abhiyan at KVK, R. S. Pura.
Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Choudhary, MLA R.S. Pura Dr. Gagan Bhagat, Vice-Chancellor, SKUAST-Jammu, Dr. P. K. Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Kr. Rajeev Ranjan, Associate Director Extension & I/C KVK, SKUAST-J Dr. R. K Arora, Director Agriculture, Jammu, H. K. Razdan, Choudhary Dev Raj besides President, R. S. Pura Basmati Growers Association also spoke on the occasion.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said that Central and State Governments are giving special focus on various farmers’ welfare programmes and schemes. He said that the Agriculture Department should lay concentrated thrust on production centric as well as income centric strategies. “We all have to work collectively to materialize Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling farmers income by the year 2022 which is completely in the interest of farmer’s community and hence the nation”, he maintained.
The Union Minister said that the government is committed to extend benefit of all schemes to the last man in the last queue. He also elaborated on various reformative schemes being launched by the government Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Soil Health Card Scheme (SHCS), Neem Coated Urea, Kisan Credit Cards etc for benefit of farmers.He said that the very first Seed Processing Unit is being set up at Kathua by the National Seed Corporation of India. He advised the farmers to get their local products like Basmati Rice registered under a specific brand name to promote the variety as well as their production. He asked the department and university to put in hard efforts to make R. S. Pura an Agricultural Hub.
Singh asked the department to give focus on better irrigation facilities, quality seeds and nutrients based on soil health, large investment in warehousing and cold chains, promotion of value-addition through processing, creation of National Farm Market, introduction of new Crop Insurance Scheme, promotion of ancillary activities like poultry, beekeeping and fisheries.
Later, the Union Minister distributed Kisan Credit Cards and Soil Health Cards among the farmers. He said that government has distributed 12.5 crore Soil Health Cards across the country including 3.5 lakh in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. He also released a “Farmers Friendly Handbook for Schemes and Programmes in Urdu & Dogri Vernaculars”.
While appreciating the efforts of KVKs, PHE Minister, Sham Lal Choudhary, said that organizing such events is helpful in creating awareness about the programmes and schemes being launched for welfare of the farming community.
MLA, while speaking on the occasion, highlighted various problems of border areas regarding irrigation, banking and marketing of agricultural produce.
