“Water to be released in canals in north Gujarat from tomorrow”

Palanpur

In response to the farmers’ needs and leaders’ submissions, Chief Minister Anandiben Patel today said that water will be released in the canal network in north Gujarat from tomorrow.

Inaugurating the Krishi Mahotsav from Dantiwada Agriculture University at Sardar Krishinagar in Banaskantha district, she said the state government has always stood by the farmers. The Krishi Mahotsav being observed for over a decade has helped farmers adopt latest technology and increase agriculture growth from 2 to 12 per cent.

She called upon the farmers to come out of the mindset that more water, more fertilizers helped increase farm output. What is needed is optimum utilization. She said the government has taken other steps like deepening ponds, building check dams, watering down the problem of fluoride content in north Gujarat region by the Sujalam Sufalam lift irrigation-cum-canal programme. The Narmada sub-minor canal-based irrigation project is 50 per cent complete and will be completed in 18 months. Even as area under drip irrigation has been increased from one lakh ha to 12 lakh ha in the state, Banaskantha tops the list among 33 districts, which is planned to be taken up to 3-lakh ha by the next year.

The Chief Minister said that according the industry status to agriculture and opening perishable cargo depot opened at Ahmedabad airport helping Gujarat farmers market their produces across the world. She asked the farmers to shift to the global trend of organic farming, which fetch higher prices.

She listed increasing the compensation for accidental deaths from Rs. one lakh to Rs. four lakh, loans up Rs. three lakhs at one per cent interest, making available two lakh tones of fertilizers at 50 places, providing one lakh new electricity connections as some of the other innovative steps.

The Chief Minister felicitated Sardar Patel Agricultural Research Awards and 11 beneficiaries of Agriculture and Horticulture Department, distributed State level Best Farmers Award, and inaugurated the exhibition dome.

Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Ramanlal Vora said that when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat his dream was to double farmer’s income which has increased ten times, thanks to Krishi Mahotsav.

Minister of State for Transport and Health Shankarbhai Chaudhry said the Krishi Mahotsav has created awareness for adopting scientific methods of farming.

Those present on the occasion included Ministers of State Rajnibhai Patel, Tarachand Chheda, Parliamentary Secretary Bharatsinh Dabhi, MLAs Keshaji Chauhan and Parbatbhai Patel, Chief Minister’s Chief Principal Secretary K. Kailashnathan, Dantiwada Agriculture University Vice-Chancellor Ashokbhai Patel and Collector Jainu Diwan.

– Information