STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Parliamentary Affairs, Pijush Hazarika, warned the seed suppliers of the state that the government would take criminal proceedings against them in the event of delayed and poor-quality seed supply to the farmers. The minister today chaired a high-level review meeting with the district agriculture officers of Assam at the Assam Administrative Staff College, Khanapara. He stressed that in the event of the yield of chaff instead of paddy grain, the government would not spare anyone.
Addressing the gathering, the minister issued a strict mandate to elevate farmer registration to an absolute priority. He noted that while nearly 50 lakh families in Assam depend on agriculture, only 24 lakh are currently registered. To bridge this gap, the department will launch a special drive to register an additional 5 to 7 lakh farmers within the next six months, focusing on transforming subsistence farming into a wealth-generating sector for the state’s poorest families.
To maximize grassroots welfare, Minister Hazarika directed officials to aggressively scale up enrolment under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and accelerate PM-KISAN registration by expediting ID creation.
The minister emphasized that seed and fertiliser distribution must be entirely open and transparent, ordering that high-quality seeds reach farmers at least one month before the sowing season. Warning that delays or inefficiencies would not be tolerated, he instructed the department to explore legal avenues for criminal proceedings, blacklisting, and licence cancellation against agencies supplying substandard products or engaging in the black marketing of fertilizers.
To maintain local alignment, he added that public representatives must be kept informed of all distribution drives.
The minister emphasised that Assam needs to move beyond its traditional rice farming and diversify its economy. Highlighting that substantial capital currently leaves the state to procure palm oil and pulses, he declared horticulture, pulses, and oil palm production as top departmental priorities. We will pair this push with immediate discussions on market development to secure fair pricing for agricultural products. To execute these initiatives, agricultural development officers were directed to conduct regular field visits and actively support farmer-producer organisations.
The meeting, which concluded with district-wise presentations on resource management and local challenges, was attended by Commissioner and Secretary of the Department Aruna Rajoria, Director of Agriculture Ratul Pathak and other senior departmental officials and District Agriculture Officers from across Assam.
Also Read: Assam: Minister Pijush Hazarika orders drive to bring more farmers under PM-KISAN