Our Correspondent
MANGALDAI: Transforming his assurance made in 2017 into reality and fulfilling a long-cherished dream, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Thursday dedicated a state-of-the-art residential Farmers' Training Centre at historic Pothorughat while taking part in the Krishak Swahid Divas organized by the State Government in memory of the 140 Krishak Swahids who offered supreme sacrifice while raising their non-violent protest against the enhanced land revenue and tax by the British at Pothorughat on January 28, 1894.
Chief Minister Sonowal, while taking part in the Krishak Swahid Divas celebration at Pothorughat on January 28, 2017, made the declaration to construct the Residential Farmers' Training Centre at the estimated cost of Rs. 5 crore and beautification of Krishak Swahid Memorial at Rs. 2 crore. Moreover, a museum will also be constructed at Pothorughat at Rs. 2 crore.
Arriving at Pothorughat by road, Chief Minister Sonowal also paid floral wreath in memory of the Krishak Swahids at the Krishak Swahid memorial which was constructed by the army at the initiative of the then Governor, Lt. Gen (Rtd) SK Sinha.
Addressing the open meeting attended by about 15,000 people, the Chief Minister made an earnest appeal to the educated youths of the State to take up agriculture by adopting the scientific and organic way and transforming Assam into one of best States of the country. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to transform India as one of the best countries of the world. It is the need of hour to extend all cooperation and to make Assam prosperous by adopting the multi-cropping system as the future of Assam lies only in the agriculture sector. For that purpose, the State Government has already provided tractors to 26,000 villages and also arranged for rice mills to 220 entrepreneurs while the government has made arrangements for sanction of loan to farmers without interest up to an amount of Rs 2 lakh. Let us take the pledge from Pothorughat to get totally engaged in the agricultural sector which will be the way to pay tribute to the Krishak Swahids," said Sonowal. "We are used to smartphones and smart cards, now is the right time to make smart farmers," he added.
In the function, he also offered felicitation to 20 ideal and progressive young farmers, including two women farmers from different districts.
Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Mangaldai parliamentarian Dilip Kumar Saikia, legislators Binanda Saikia, Guru Jyoti Das and Ashok Sarma, Deputy Commissioner Dilip Kumar Borah and Chief Executive Officer of Assam State Marketing Board, Bidyut Bikash Bhagawati also took part in the function.
The Chief Minister also assured to transform the existing Krishak Swahid memorial into a well-decorated attractive memorial of the country and to open up a wing of Assam Agriculture University at Pothorughat.
To mark the Krishak Swahid Divas celebration, the District Agriculture, Sericulture, Water Supply and Irrigation departments installed stalls to showcase the latest innovative instruments required for modern agriculture and farming while a good number of self-help groups also took part with their home-made products and Assamese traditional delicacies. In the function the Chief Minister also released a souvenir containing very important and informative write-ups published by Darrang district administration.
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