Shimla, Feb 23
Himachal Pradesh governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar on Wednesday said the farming community is getting top priority in present government rule.
While delivering inaugural address at the start of budget session of HP Vidhan Sabha, Krishi Utpaad Sarankshan Yojana has been started to establish permanent structures made of steel and bamboo for installation of anti-hail nets and reduce damage caused to orchards by hailstorms.
The government is committed towards Gauseva and cow sanctuary are being set up in the state to cater to stray cattle. besides, sheep breeding farm at Tal in Hamirpur district and Jeori in Shimla district and cow breeding farm at Palampur, Kangra district and Bagthan in Sirmaur district have been developed as fodder production centers by spending an amount of Rupees 3 crore.
Presently, 548 fruit nurseries are registered in the state and 150 new fruit nurseries and 158 bud-wood banks have been registered in the current financial year.
An amount of about Rs 11 crore has been allocated under the ‘HP Pushp Kranti Yojana’ and 114 farmers have benefitted from the scheme.
An additional area of about 58,561 square meters has been brought under polyhouses. Besides, an amount of Rs 5 crore has been allocated under ‘HP Khumb Vikas Yojana’, which has assisted 64,269 mushroom growers to set up production units.
For the sustainable development of horticulture, the government is emphasizing on increasing the productivity by importing improved fruit varieties and clonal rootstock. Under the World Bank funded HP Horticulture Development Project, 9,09,527 grafted plants and clonal rootstocks have been imported from USA.
The project’s progress has also been appreciated by the World Bank.
Presently, horticulture contributes more than about Rs 4,000 crore to the state’s GDP and an additional area of about 1,932 hectare will be brought under various fruit crops in this financial year.
PM Krishi Sinchayee Yojana is playing a significant role in the overall development of horticulture in the state and in the current financial year, drip and sprinkler irrigation system is being installed in an additional area of 2,927 hectares.
In addition, Plant Protection programme is being run for pest protection of fruit plants and farmers are being provided 50 per cent assistance for purchase of pesticides.
The state government is also providing financial assistance of Rs 4,500 to the 4,208 fishermen under livelihood and nutritional support for families and conservation of fish resources during fishing ban or lean period.
Himachal has secured second position in the category of North-Eastern and hilly States of the country in implementation of urban employment scheme which helped the workers in the towns to get the guaranteed employment
On the analogy of MNREGA in the rural areas during the Covid pandemic, the government started livelihood scheme for poor residing in urban areas.
The government is also playing a leading role in realizing the dream of providing tap water to every household under the ambitious scheme Jal Jeevan Mission and so far, 17,28,000 families have been provided with the facility, he added.