1,000 Telangana officials to get agri tips in Israel

HYDERABAD: Nearly 1,000 officers of agriculture and horticulture departments of the Telangana government are scheduled to fly to Israel in December on a study tour for skill enhancement and learning hi-tech agriculture practices.

The officials will spend a minimum of 15 days and a maximum of three weeks in Israel, undertake field visits and interact with local farmers and agriculture experts, besides learning modern methods of cultivation and water harvesting techniques.

The tour, which official sources said will cost the Telangana government an estimated ₹25-₹30 crore, has come under fire from the opposition Congress, which described the exercise as wastage of public money.

Official sources said the tour will include officials from field officers and technical staff to officials of various heads of department ranks in both agriculture and horticulture wings. The estimated expenditure includes the cost of transportation, boarding and lodging and field visits.

“It’s big money but is worth spending. It is not just a flying visit or holiday junket. It helps in expanding the horizons of officials and change their mindset. All these days, our officials have been like frog sin the well without any skill enhancement and functioning in a routine manner. The tour will help them gain both theoretical and practical knowledge of the modern methods of cultivation and new technologies ,” Telangana agriculture secretary, C Parthasarthy, told HT.

The Opposition is not impressed, with Congress saying the tour is an unnecessary replication of a similar exercise in 1999 in And hr a .“Where is the need to send so many officers? The Israel method of cultivation is being implemented in Ku pp am of Chitto or. What is new that officials are going to learn?” Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee spokesman Dasoju Sravan said.

THE PROPOSED TOUR, TO COST TELANGANA GOVERNMENT AN ESTIMATED ₹25₹ 30 CRORE, HAS COME UNDER FIRE FROM THE OPPOSITION CONGRESS