CM announces think-tank for farmers

CM announces think-tank for farmers
Newindpress.com

DHARWAD: Chief Minister Dharam Singh has announced that steps will be taken to start ‘think-tank’ for the benefit of farmers in state.

He was speaking after inaugurating the concluding ceremony of four-day Krishi mela organised by University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad at its premises here on Sunday.

He said in order to provide proper guidance and information about the developments in agriculture sector at national and international level, think-tank consisting of scientists, thinkers and intellectuals would be started soon in the state.

He said the members of the think-tank will guide the farmers to carry out their agricultural activities in right direction to reap good profit and to enable them to overcome their problems. He promised to release Rs 15 crore to the University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad to take up various research works and other agricultural activities in the interest of the farmers.

Lauding the UAS for its services, he said to improve the food production, more research on new crop pattern and breeds should be conducted at national and international level.

For conducting such research and other academic activities, state government would provide all necessary facilities to the UAS in future, he said.

Listing out the achievements of the state government and schemes launched for the farmers in state, he said that for the fist time in the state’s history, steps were taken to provide agricultural loan to the farmers at 6 per cent interest through cooperative societies and other cooperative institutions.

In the last 16 months, crop insurance of Rs 270 crore had been released to the farmers by the government, he said.

He said Rs 52 crore had been provided to give subsidy in the form of short term and mid term loan to the farmers, besides, to give special impetus for the development of agricultural sector, Rs 873 crore was kept in the budget.

He said lot of innovative programmes and schemes were implemented with an intention to solve the problems of farming community.

‘‘Our coalition government is the result-oriented government,’’ he added.