GUWAHATI, July 3 - Agriculture Minister Atul Bora today announced the State Government�s 100-day plan for the agriculture, urban development and veterinary sectors, with some initiatives like soil health cards to farmers and infrastructure development in different areas of the State.
Addressing the media here, Bora said that the State Government envisages uplifting the condition of the farmers, so that the younger generation is attracted towards farming spontaneously.
Meanwhile, Bhabendra Nath Saikia, Additional Director of Agriculture (Input), Khanapara, will temporarily hold the additional charge of Director of Agriculture, Assam. The Agriculture Minister also announced that steps would be taken to look into the charges of corruption against the agriculture department officials.
�A slew of initiatives would be taken up in the field of agriculture, within 100 days from the date of announcement of the measures. The State�s future depends on agriculture and we want farmers to have a dignified life as first class citizens,� he stated.
The State Government will provide genuine farmers with identity cards, he said. �Within the next 100 days, 30,000 farmers will also be given soil health cards, with a total target of distributing such cards to 22 lakh farmers,� he added.
As part of infrastructure development, a cold storage would be set up in Jorhat, a demonstration-cum-excellence centre, worth Rs 8 crore would come up in Bamunigaon, the minister said.
Giving special emphasis on addressing the seed-related grievances of farmers, the contracts will now be made transparent through e-tendering and 20,000 quintal seeds will be distributed as part of the seed village scheme. �We are seriously looking into the seed-related complaints coming from the farmers and special caution would be taken so that the crop is not destroyed due to the substandard seeds, in future,� he added.
As part of urban development initiatives in the State, a commercial complex will be set up at North Lakhimpur, a truck terminus at Tinsukia and storm water drainage will be developed at Barpeta Road and Simaluguri. This apart, workshops and training programmes would be organized for municipal and town committee representatives.
�We are also planning to form 1,000 self help groups (SHGs) in the next 100 days,� the minister added.
In the veterinary sector, the government plans to commercialize four of the 22 poultry farms under public private partnership mode in Sonitpur, Nalbari, Jorhat and Kamrup districts, while pig rearing projects will be taken up in Majuli, Bokakhat, Jonai and Dhemaji districts. In addition to this, foot and mouth disease (FMD) vaccination of all cattle will be started from Jorhat, Nalbari and Golaghat districts, the minister said.
