Tuesday, February 6, 2018
- Chandigarh Feb 6--Taking yet another significant decision in the interest of farming community in the state, the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal, today announced setting up of ‘Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran’ to make agriculture remunerative, enhance farm productivity and farmer's income, and also to mitigate the physical, financial and psychological distress of farm households and landless workers.
- Mr Manohar Lal made this announcement while interacting with progressive farmers from the state during the 'Ek Aur Sudhar' programme organized here today. The Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister, Mr O.P Dhankar, and Minister of State for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Mr Karan Dev Kamboj, were also present on this occasion.
- The Chief Minister said that with a view to give boost to the food processing, a provision of Rs 1100 crore has been made in the Union Budget. He said that a total 42 mega food parks would be established in the country. While describing the farmers of Haryana as hardworking and diligent, he urged the progressive farmers to make other farmers aware about the advanced farming techniques. The State Government would soon organize a Kisan Kalyan Karyakaram under the Ek Aur Sudhar programme in which such farmers would be honoured, he added.
- Mr Manohar Lal said that efforts are being made by the State Government for the early implementation of Supreme Court orders on Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal. Apart from this, process is also in progress to get State share of water through Renuka, Lakhwar and Kishau dams. He urged the farmers to cooperate the State Government in water conservation measures so as to ensure the supply of irrigation water in the left out areas also. He said that an Rs 2200 crore scheme has been prepared for the special repair of pump sets of Western Yamuna Canal and rejuvenation of canals and minors in the State.
- The Chief Minister said sensitive to the condition and needs of the farmers, the state government has set up the Haryana Kisan Kalyan Pradhikaran to provide relief to farm households and to increase their income. Recently, he had announced the decision to roll out one reform every month. It is in this series that the decision has been taken to establish the Pradhikaran, he added.
- While the Chief Minister would be chairperson of the Pradhikaran, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister would be the ex-officio Vice-Chairman. The ex-officio members of the Pradhikaran would include the Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Horticulture and Fisheries Minister, Industries and Commerce Minister, Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, and Additional Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry and Dairying.
- It will also include such officers, not below the rank of Principal Secretary, not exceeding six, as the state government may, from time to time, nominate and such experts, not exceeding six, as the state government may, from time to time, nominate from the field of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Horticulture, Fisheries, Agri-business, Food- processing, Agri Marketing, Insurance, Rural Development and Director or Director General Agriculture.
- The Pradhikaran will undertake all possible measures to make agriculture remunerative and enhance productivity to mitigate the physical, financial and psychological distress of farm households and landless workers. It will also maintain close liaison with line departments for implementation and monitoring of schemes, programmes and projects thorough the Agriculture Advisory Council and issue necessary guidelines from time to time.
- The Pradhikaran will oversees regulations, policies, guidelines and procedures for farmers’ welfare in areas such as skills, subsidy and suggest amendments in the statute governing farmer’s welfare in the state in consonance with Central Acts. Besides, it may also carry out survey and studies by itself or through any other agency. The Pradhikaran may constitute as many coordination committees and as many standing committees it may deem fit for exercising any power or discharging any function or for monitoring or reporting or advising upon any matter the Pradhikaran may refer to them.
- The coordination committee will consist exclusively of officers of the Pradhikaran, the state government or any board or company or university owned or controlled by the state government. But the standing committee will include persons who are not employees of the Pradhikaran or the state government or any board or company owned or controlled by the state government. The number of such persons will not exceed one-third of its total membership.
- Some standing committees may also be constituted. These will include standing committee on debt relief, standing committee on landless agricultural workers, standing committee on agricultural exports and commerce, standing committee on peri-urban farming, standing committee on climate smart agriculture, standing committee on micro-irrigation, standing committee on organic farming, standing committee on direct marketing, standing committee on soil health, standing committee on protected cultivation, standing committee on Input management, standing committee on diversification, standing committee on livestock, dairying and fisheries, standing committee on pond management, standing committee on scientific land use management, standing committee on ground water and aquifer management and one on agri-business and agro industries development.
- There will be an Agriculture Advisory Council to advise the Pradhikaran and provide guidance on the exercise of its powers and performance of its functions. The Council will consist of Chief Executive Officer, who will preside over its meetings and its members.
- The Council will monitor implementation of the annual plan of action for ensuring better standard of living for farmers and their welfare, including development of guidelines and procedures for providing relief to them. The recommendations of the Council, along with an explanatory memorandum on the action taken or proposed to be taken thereon, will be placed by the Chief Executive Officer before the Pradhikaran.
- Those present on this occasion included Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Mr Rajesh Khullar, Principal Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, Dr Abhilaksh Likhi, Deputy Principal Secretary to Chief Minister and Chief Administrator, Haryana State Agricultural Marketing Board (HSAMB), Mr Mandeep Singh Brar, OSD Capt Bhupinder, Project Director, Ek Aur Sudhar Cell, Mr Rocky Mittal and some progressive farmers.