Dehradun: Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, held a review meeting with Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the CM residence in Dehradun to assess the progress of central schemes related to agriculture and rural development in Uttarakhand. State Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi and Vice-Chairman of the State Disaster Management Advisory Committee Vinay Rohilla were also present.
Union Minister Chouhan said that to ensure better outreach of scientific knowledge to farmers, 2,000 scientific teams are being formed. These teams will visit every district of the country and advise farmers on improving production based on local geography, adopting modern farming techniques, and exploring various dimensions of agriculture and horticulture. He acknowledged Uttarakhand’s commendable efforts in the field, noting that despite a reduction in agricultural land area, the state has increased its agricultural output. He recommended a long-term agricultural action plan for the state and asked the government to send proposals for immediate agricultural needs.
CM Pushkar Dhami sought central assistance for several agriculture and horticulture activities. Regarding the ₹1,053 crore proposal for fencing to protect crops from wild animals, the Union Minister advised submitting it in phases. On the demand for ₹400 crore to set up 1,000 Farm Machinery Banks, he said the second phase of funding would follow once the first phase is utilized.
Union minister assured support for developing the state seed corporation into a hub for pulses, oilseeds, and seed production. Regarding the ₹1,150 crore request for ultra-high-density apple orchards, he asked the state to submit an annual action plan.
The CM highlighted that Jhangora, a traditional crop grown on 38,000 hectares in Uttarakhand, should receive a Minimum Support Price (MSP) similar to Mandua (finger millet). The Union Minister responded positively and promised to consider the request. He also assured full cooperation for establishing a Center of Excellence under the Kiwi Mission as well as similar centers for honey, mushrooms, and exotic vegetables.
During the review of rural development programs, CM Dhami requested that the ‘House of Himalayas Ltd.’ be promoted globally and granted GI tagging, with added support for empowering the women self-help groups linked to it. He also requested support for establishing a Himalayan Rural Bank and developing a premium supply chain. The Union Minister acknowledged the importance of these initiatives and promised that central teams from the agriculture and rural development departments would visit the state to prepare a comprehensive plan.
The CM urged the Union Minister to increase wage rates under MGNREGA, to which the minister replied that all aspects are being considered at the national level. The CM also requested that the grant under the PM Awas Yojana – Gramin be increased from ₹1.3 lakh to ₹2 lakh, citing high transport costs in remote Himalayan areas. The Minister acknowledged the challenging geography of the Himalayan states and assured action.
On the request to approve more than 100 projects covering 600 kilometers under PMGSY Phase IV, the Union Minister said approvals would be granted soon.
Senior officials present at the meeting included Chief Secretary Anand Vardhan, Additional Chief Secretary R. Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Radhika Jha, Chandresh Yadav, S.N. Pandey, Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Vice-Chancellors of Pantnagar University Dr. Manmohan Singh Chauhan and Bharsar University Dr. Pramendra Kaushal, along with senior officials from the Government of India, including Additional Secretary R. Anand and Joint Secretary Amit Shukla.
