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Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan Reviews Central Schemes in Uttarakhand Commends State’s Efforts in Agriculture, Rural Development, and Organic Farming Dehradun, Monday Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a comprehensive review meeting on various central schemes with Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami, in Dehradun today. During the meeting, the Union Minister informed that 2,000 teams of agricultural scientists have been formed to assist and empower farmers across the country. These teams will visit every district to promote awareness on increasing agricultural production, adopting modern techniques, and strengthening both agriculture and horticulture practices tailored to local geographical conditions. Appreciating the efforts of Uttarakhand in agriculture and rural development, Shri Chouhan noted that while the total agricultural acreage in the state has declined, productivity has shown a commendable rise.
He encouraged the state to adopt longterm agricultural planning and submit detailed proposals for central support at the earliest. Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami sought the Centre’s cooperation in boosting agriculture and horticulture activities in the state. The Union Minister assured assistance for phased implementation of fencing projects worth ₹1,053 crore to protect crops from wild animals. On the state’s request for a ₹400 crore Agriculture Mechanisation Incentive Scheme to establish 1,000 Farm Machinery Banks, the Minister stated that the second installment would be released upon utilisation of the first phase. The Union Minister also assured support for strengthening seed production infrastructure, particularly in oilseeds and pulses, and establishing seed hubs in the state. He advised the state to submit a comprehensive action plan for an intensive apple horticulture programme with a proposed outlay of ₹1,150 crore. Highlighting the importance of traditional crops, the Chief Minister urged for the inclusion of Jhangora (barnyard millet), grown over 38,000 hectares in Uttarakhand, under Minimum Support Price (MSP) on the lines of Mandua (finger millet). The Union Minister responded positively and assured due consideration of the proposal. In support of highvalue horticulture, the Minister confirmed central assistance for setting up a Centre of Excellence under the Kiwi Mission and extended support for the Dragon Fruit Mission and the Himalayan Academy for Capacity Building and Rural Enterprises for Agri and Allied Units.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need to promote “House of Himalayas Limited” as a global brand and requested a Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the brand. He further proposed the formation of a Himalayan Rural Bank and a premium supply chain to empower women selfhelp groups associated with the initiative. The Union Minister acknowledged the significance of these initiatives and assured full support from the Centre. The Chief Minister also requested an increase in the wage rate under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA). Shri Chouhan assured that the demand would be considered at the national level. He also responded positively to the state’s request to increase the grant amount under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana – Gramin from ₹1.30 lakh to ₹2 lakh, citing the high transportation cost in remote Himalayan regions. On the state’s request for approval of over 100 road projects covering 600 km under Phase IV of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the Union Minister assured that approval would be granted soon. Present in the meeting were Chief Secretary Shri Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretary Shri R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Smt. Radhika Jha, Shri Chandresh Yadav, Shri S.N. Pandey, Shri Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Vice Chancellor of Pantnagar University Dr. Manmohan Singh Chauhan, Vice Chancellor of Bharsar University Dr. Pramendra Kaushal, Additional Secretary to Government of India Shri R. Anand, Joint Secretary Shri Amit Shukla, and other senior officials.