Crop diversification scheme being implemented in state: Himachal CM
NEW DELHI: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur Sunday told the Niti Aayog meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the state government is implementing a Rs 1,000-crore crop diversification scheme.
The Niti Aayog Governing Council meeting was held at the national capital where detailed discussions were held on achieving self-sufficiency in agricultural production and crop diversification, implementation of the new national education policy and urban bodies administration.
The Chief Minister said that the state government is implementing Rs. 1,010 crore Himachal Pradesh Crop Diversification Scheme in all the districts and added that budget provision has been made for promoting mushroom farming especially Shitake and Dhingree varieties.
Thakur further said 31,584 orchardists of Himachal Pradesh are covered under state-sponsored schemes whereas 4.15 lakh orchardists have benefitted under centrally sponsored schemes during the last four-and-a-half years.
He informed that that in order to double the income of farmers, 3,590 gram panchayats have been covered under “Prakritik Kheti Khushal Kisan Yojna” and added that farmers had saved about Rs. 9.75 crore by switching over to natural manure instead of chemical fertilisers. Thakur said that 10 points of sale were set up across the state besides Delhi and Chandigarh for selling natural farming produce.
The CM urged the Prime Minister to allocate five TV channels to Himachal Pradesh out of total 200 channels under recently announced Swayam Prabha which will telecast high quality educational programmes. He apprised that the gross enrollment ratio of primary, middle and high schools in the state is 100 per cent whereas it is 85.6 per cent in case of senior secondary schools. Thakur further added that the ratio goes upto 98.8 per cent if technical institutions are added to the senior secondary level.
Thakur said the state government is committed to strengthening the administration of urban bodies by filling necessary posts and improving efficiency in delivering speedy and effective services to the people with the help of the latest technology. The CM said that GIS Mapping will be used for assessing and collection of property tax and added that single member municipal committee services regulatory committee will be constituted.