GUWAHATI, Jan 16 - Asserting that a 'green revolution' was gradually taking place in the State, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Wednesday said that the Government was going in a 'big way' to promote farming and related activities and facilitate employment generation in rural areas.
Gogoi, who was addressing the media, said that it was a mistake not to have accorded adequate thrust on agriculture and related activities earlier but the last few years witnessed a lot of emphasis on boosting the rural economy through utilization of natural resources.
"Our potential in agriculture and related areas such as dairy, fishery, etc., is immense and we are now going in a big way to promote these activities in rural areas. Farm mechanization and the overall improvement in rural connectivity are also playing a role in ushering in a green revolution," he said.
Gogoi also mentioned the role of self-help groups (SHGs) in bringing in perceptible changes in the rural economy. "The SHG movement is going strong and we have disbursed loan worth Rs 6380 crore through kisan credit cards (KCCs)," he added.
The Chief Minister said that fruits and vegetables had been exempted from the purview of the Essential Commodities Act, enabling farmers to go for hassle-free commercial transactions devoid of agro-marketing cess.
