Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that every market yard in the State would have organic farm produce and also pesticides, fungicides and agriculture implements so as to facilitate the farmers. Chief Minister said it in an public meeting at Jahu, in Hamirpur district on the border of district Hamirpur, Mandi and Bilaspur, after dedicating a modern marketing yard, constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.5 crore today. He said that a Cattle Feed Plant would be constructed at Jahu soon to meet cattle feed requirement of farmers of all the adjoining three districts, besides supplying the same to other districts as well.
Chief Minister said that strengthening for viability of farm sector was on priority agenda of the State Government. He said that Rs. 353 crore Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Baagwan Samridhi Yojna had been launched in the State which had yielded desired results as off season vegetable and cash crops were contributing immensely to the State Gross Domestic Product. He said that 80 percent of the project cost for construction of poly houses, micro sprinkler and drip irrigation schemes were being given as subsidy by the Government. He said that it had been due to the effective implementation of the scheme that the vegetable sector had increased its turn over from Rs. 250 crore during preceding year to Rs. 2,250 crore and had compensated the apple crop loss which had fallen from Rs. 2,000 crore to Rs. 900 crore due to low yield. He said that while the State Government was providing subsidy upto 90 percent to the BPL farmers, the Government of India had announced withdrawal of subsidy on fertilizers.
Prof. Dhumal said that 4.45 lakh vermin compost units had been established in the State which would give boost to organic farming activities and generate employment and self employment avenues to rural youth in traditional avocation of agriculture. He said that the construction of proposed 33 KV Electricity Sub-Station at Naltu would be completed in nine months time and 132 KVA sub-station at Jahu to be completed in 18 months time. He said that it would help in solving the low voltage problem and also ensure regular electricity supply to the domestic consumers of Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Mandi districts. He assured the people of the area that funds would not be any constraint in giving renewed momentum to various developmental activities in the State.
Kripal Parmar, Vice Chairman, HP State Marketing Board, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for dedicating the new marketing yard to the farmers and vegetable growers of the area. He said that the endeavour of the Board had been to create quality marketing infrastructure to the farmers near to their homes so that they could sell their produce at remunerative prices without taking assistance of middlemen.
I.D.Dhiman, Education Minister, Col. Inder Singh, MLA, M.C.parmar, CMD, Ex-Servicemen Welfare Corporation, Pyare Lal Sharma, Chairman, APMC, Hamirpur, Rajender Singh, DC, Madhusudan Sharma, SP, P.C.Negi, Director Technical, HPSEBL, Shri B.T.Negi, Dr. Dinkar Burathoki,Director of Higher Education, Chief Engineer, PWD, other senior officers and prominent people of the area were present on the occasion.
