Guwahati, Oct 29 (HS): “Our Government realises the dignity of a farmer’s hard work and toil while growing food for the society. For that reason, the State Government has initiated schemes like Chief Minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnyan Yojna (CMSGUY), Mukhyamantrir Krishi Sa-Sajuli Achoni, Ghare Ghare Pukhuri Ghare Ghare Mach etc so that the farmers can derive benefits. We are embarking on the journey to fulfil Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling famers’ income by 2022.”
Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today said while speaking as the chief guest at the Krishak Samaroh programme organised by Agriculture, Horticulture and Food Processing Department, Govt of Assam at Veterinary College Playground, Khanapara.
Highlighting the Central Government schemes like Kisan Man DhanYojna, Pradhan Mantri Fasal BimaYojna, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna etc as the indicator of the Prime Minister’s commitment towards the farmers of the country, Sonowal stated that CMSGUY with a budget outlay of Rs 30,000 crore is the state government’s strong move to transform the rural economy.
Saying that 20 lakh farmers have been provided Soil Health Cards in the state, the Chief Minister stated that farmers must know the quality of their farming lands and he also stressed on the need to provide water health cards to the farmers.
He also informed that 5 lakh farmers in the state had been provided one time grant of Rs 5000 for buying farming tools and equipments under Mukhyamantrir Krishi Sa Sajuli Achoni during the previous year and 6 lakh more farmers would be covered under the scheme in the current year. He also said that Prime Minister Modi led Central Government had released an amount of Rs 1200 crore for implementing various schemes for farmers’ welfare in the state.
Referring to the exposure tour to Vietnam provided to 14 model farmers of the state, the Chief Minister said that the farmers could learn the modern techniques used by the Vietnamese farmers to increase production. He also said that officials of Agriculture Department helped the farmers keeping in close touch there and called upon the officials of the department here to go to the farmers to enquire about their problems rather than making the farmers come to their offices.
Saying that Indian Agricultural Research Institute was being set up at Gogamukh in Dhemaji district where Prime Minister Madi laid the foundation stone in 2017, Sonowal urged the educated youths of the state to take up farming as a means of self-employment while adopting modern technology. He informed that the state government was providing subsidy up-to Rs 25000 in agricultural loan amount of Rs 1 lakh and said that farmers must take advantage of such schemes.
He also called on the state’s farmers to strive for increasing production through dedicated and systemic work to capture market in today’s competitive age. He also urged them to engage in organic cultivation for taking advantage of the fertile land of the state. Recently, farmers from Assam could export their produce to the markets of Abu Dhabi, London, Hong Kong, Singapore etc and more farmers should join hands to capture the international markets, he opined.
In today’s programme, the Chief Minister distributed power tillers, rice mills, lentil mills, Soil Health Cards, solar powered pump sets, sprinkler machines and seeds to the beneficiaries.
Agriculture Minister Atul Bora also spoke on the occasion elaborating different activities undertaken by his department for the development of farmers. Social Welfare Minister Pramila Rani Brahma, Media and Legal Advisers to the Chief Minister Hrishikesh Goswami and Shantanu Bharali, MLAs Bimal Bora, Rituparna Barua, Aziz Ahmed Khan, Satyabrata Kalita were also present among others.
