‘Farmers’ development vital for country’s development’

A Correspondent

Golaghat, July 14: Attending as the chief guest in the Krishak Samaroh held at Chinatoli in Golaghat on Saturday, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, “There is no hope of development of the country without the development of farmers. The Narendra Modi-led BJP government has taken up various schemes for farmers’ development and for securing the future of their sons and daughters.”

Sonowal said that the government had decided to distribute 26,000 tractors among farmers by investing Rs 30 crore. Besides, the government had decided to provide Rs. 5,000 each to 5 lakh farmers.

Referring to the recent hike in MSP for Kharif crops for 2018-19 season which was approved by the Union Cabinet recently, the Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment towards doubling farmers’ income by 2022 through greater emphasis on generating higher incomes for farmers. The Krishak Samaroh was organized jointly by the Mega Mission Society of the Chief Minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana and the Department of Agriculture, Government of Assam. The meeting was organized in line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to double farmers’ income by the year 2022. The Chief Minister ceremoniously distributed 12 big tractors, 10 power tillers, two mini rice mills and 10 soil health cards to selected beneficiaries during the meeting.

The Krishak Samaroh was attended by State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, State Water Resources Minister Keshav Mahanta, Rajya Sabha MP Biswajit Daimary, MLA of Khumtai, Mrinal Saikia and MLA of Dergaon, Bhaben Bharali.

Speaking on the occasion, State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora Atul Bora urged the farmers of the State to work hard to achieve the vision of doubling their income by the year 2022. Minister Bora highlighted the innovative scheme taken up by the government - the Chief Minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana – under which 26,000 revenue villages in the State will receive one tractor each at a cost of around Rs.30,000 crore. In his speech, the minister informed that in the last two years, the Department of Agriculture had distributed around 8,000 power tillers and around 1.5 lakh soil health cards among farmers of the State. He also said steps were being taken to improve the overall irrigation scenario in the State to boost farmers’ productivity.