| News Details |
| CEC Dr Dawa inaugurates Kisan Mela at Leh | | 
Leh, , August 29 (Scoop News)-In order to showcase their agricultural produce, exchange ideas, widen the know-how and have interaction with the other agricultural competitors, a one-day Awareness Camp-cum-Kisan Mela and Exhibition was held at Indoor Stadium Leh that was inaugurated by CEC LAHDC Leh Dr. Sonam Dawa today in presence of Minister for Ladakh Affairs & Cooperatives Tsering Dorjey Lakrook, Vice-Chairman (MOS) J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Kisans Daljit Singh Chib, MLA Leh Nawang Rigzin Jora, all Executive Councillors, ADC Leh Moses Kunzang, Councillors and heads of various departments.
The programme was organized by J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Kisans in collaboration with Agriculture Department & Horticulture Department LAHDC Leh to create a platform for interaction and exchange of ideas and methods.
In his address, CEC Dr Dawa appreciated the organizers for organizing this programme, and keeping the importance of agriculture sector in Leh district where 90% of the population is related with agriculture, the 5th LAHDC Leh has kept this sector among the top list of priorities to develop it more in the coming years. Despite the difficult arid region and limited sowing season, CEC appreciated the hard work of the farmers and the effort being put by both the agriculture and horticulture departments.
Talking about the absence of branch of banks supporting Kisan Bima Yojna of Central Government in Leh the farmers are unable to avail the facilities from this scheme. He therefore requested Vice Chairman Chib to facilitate to include one of the existing banks of Leh so that the farmers can avail the benefits.
Talking about the huge damage caused by pests to the fruit plantation in Khaltse belt and major damages to the irrigational khuls due to flash flood in 2015, he felt that it would be of great relief to the farmers if these damages can be covered under this Bima Yojna.
Talking about the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojna, CEC informed all that a DPR worth Rs55 crores has already been prepared and sent to the Centre Government and therefore acquired assistance from the Vice-Chairman in putting up with the Government.
CEC then further requested the farmers to take maximum benefit of all the various schemes for their benefit. Though Ladakh has the history of being self-reliant, with the growing problem of global warming, there is a need to revive those techniques so that we can be ready for future global changes. Taking example of Takmachik village which with the initiative of LEHO has 100% organic farming, CEC also encouraged the farmers to use organic farming which has better value addition and health benefits.
Talks of dividing Leh district in different zones as per the productivity of the land are going on among the councillors so that the production can be given proper value addition and develop the whole area with variety in agricultural produce, said CEC.
Efforts are also going on to encourage seed production so that seeds worth crores do not have to be imported and Ladakh thus becomes self-reliant in seed production.
Talking about the cold storage facility, for which foundation stone has already been laid, it will be of great help in storing the produces for longer period. In addition to it, the LAHDC Leh in collaboration with TATA Trust and Indian Oil Corporation as an experiment will provide Nang village with an underground cellar to check for preservation of vegetables for longer period. This technique will be applied to other villages on its successful implementation next year, said Dr Dawa.
Minister for Ladakh Affairs & Cooperatives Tsering Dorjey Lakrook, speaking on the occasion, appreciating the organizers for creating a platform to exhibit the produce of the farmers, talked about the importance of agriculture sector for the development of a nation. He further said that there is need to increase cash crop production which would yield more benefits to the farmer. Talking about the importance of as many cold storages as possible to store the produces for a longer period, Minister Dorjey expressed happiness that the Cooperative Department is already building a cold storage with a capacity of 1000 metric tonnes which can store the produces with proper processing.
He also stressed on the need to have variety of production for the benefit of the producers. Minister Dorjey also talked about the importance of creating such facilities in future where our produces can be sent to other states of the nation when they need it during their off-vegetable seasons.
Talking on the occasion, Member Legislative Assembly Leh Nawang Rigzin Jora said that with 70% of the population of a state or nation constitutes of farmers, and therefore it is important to develop the famers for the development of the state or the nation. With such exhibition-cum-awareness camps, it is the responsibility of the Council, departments to aware the farmers about the various schemes of the government for the benefit of the farmers.
Talking about the various developments in last few years in all the sectors vis-a-vis agriculture, horticulture and fisheries, Jora asserted that new crops are coming up that can fetch more value in markets of other states if they can be transported to other places. New improved value addition to fruits like apricots should be done so that they can find wider market thus benefitting the farmers. He further appreciated the work done by the departments in bringing the farmers and the agriculture sector of Leh to this level.
Earlier, Vice-Chairman (MOS) J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Kisans Daljit Singh Chib welcomed the guests and appreciated the hard work and various produces of the farmers of the district. The Centre and State Government is concerned towards development of agricultural sector and said that this board was formed in 2010 in order to bring all the information regarding various government schemes to the farmers and also with the aim to address all the problems and issues at a single platform. Talking about the insurance schemes, he further said that a farmer interested in cash crop production has to pay only 5% of insurance premium and the rest will be paid by the Centre and State Government under PM Fasal Bima Yojna which is going to start in the State. In agriculture section, a farmer has to pay only 2% insurance premium for Kharif crops and 1.5% insurance premium in Rabi crops and the rest of the premiums will be borne by the Centre and State governments, he shared. Similarly, information about benefits from various other schemes of Centre and State Government can be achieved through such Kisan Mela, he said. He further requested the departments to organize awareness camps in far-flung villages so that all the information regarding various schemes can be reached to the right receivers.
In the end, Secretary J&K State Advisory Board for Development of Kisans Ghulam Nabi Mir thanked the guests and the farmers.
... |
| |
|
|
Share this Story |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|