Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 11 Oct: Uttarakhand’s Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi participated virtually from the Harbans Kapoor Memorial Hall, Garhi Cantt, in the grand programme where Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated agricultural projects worth Rs 42,000 crore plus, to farmers across the country. Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bahuguna, Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, and Cantt MLA Savita Kapoor were also present on the occasion. Hundreds of farmers and horticulturists from various districts of the state attended the event in Dehradun.
From the National Agricultural Science Complex, Pusa (New Delhi), Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana and Dalhan Atmanirbharta Mission. He also inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of over 1,100 projects related to agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries and food processing.
The Prime Minister’s Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana is an ambitious initiative aimed at developing 100 low-productivity districts by promoting agricultural productivity, encouraging crop diversification, improving irrigation and storage infrastructure, and facilitating easy access to credit for farmers. The scheme will run for six years with an annual allocation of Rs.24,000 crore. It will be implemented through district-level action plans formulated in coordination with NITI Aayog, agricultural universities and 11 Central ministries — thereby strengthening rural livelihoods and contributing to the vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat.
Expressing gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Ganesh Joshi said that the selection of Chamoli and Almora districts of Uttarakhand under the PM Dhan-Dhaanya Krishi Yojana is a matter of pride for the state. He added that the Prime Minister’s decision will infuse new hope, energy and possibilities into the lives of farmers. “The Prime Minister is equally concerned for the farmer as he is for the soldier standing at the nation’s borders,” he said. Under his leadership, India has made historic achievements in agricultural innovation, value addition and farmers’ income enhancement.
Providing further details, Minister Joshi said that Uttarakhand has 5.51 lakh hectares of agricultural land, and its diverse geographical conditions make it highly suitable for a variety of crops such as fruits, vegetables, spices, flowers, mushrooms and honey. While the plains excel in foodgrain production, the hills hold immense potential for horticulture development. He thanked Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami for prioritising local traditional crops such as mandua (finger millet), jhangora (barnyard millet), chaulai (amaranth), bhatt (soybean), rajma (kidney beans) and laan dhaan (traditional paddy), which form the agricultural identity of the state. Special efforts are being made to promote and preserve these crops.
He further informed that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, decisive efforts are being undertaken to address farmers’ priorities on a war footing. As part of today’s programme, 102 women’s groups have been provided with drones and training to ensure their economic empowerment through modern agricultural technology.
On the occasion, Cabinet Minister Saurabh Bahuguna also expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, stating that unprecedented work has been done in the field of agriculture, fisheries and animal husbandry in the last 11 years.
Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Bansal, Cantt MLA Savita Kapoor, Organic Board Vice Chairman Bhupesh Upadhyay, Agriculture Secretary SN Pandey, Additional Secretary Rural Development Jharna Kamthan, Rural Development Commissioner Anuradha Pal and other officials were present during the event.
