20,000 Bihar farmers get input subsidy for organic farming
Patna, May 5: In a move to promote organic farming in Bihar, more than 20,000 farmers were on Saturday provided agriculture input interim subsidy of Rs 6,000 each directly in their accounts for cultivating organic vegetables.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, launching a software for advance payment of agriculture input subsidy, first time in the country, said a pilot project to promote organic vegetable farming had been started in the state.
The government has selected 20,173 farmers in four districts of Patna, Nalnda, Vaishali and Samastipur, and provided each of them Rs 6,000 directly in their bank accounts through e-cash facility.
Kumar reiterated his government's commitment to promote organic farming in the state as part of the third phase of Bihar's Agriculture Road Map (2017-22) that will focus on increasing income of farmers, among other things.
He said the road map's main focus was ensuring sustainable development of the agriculture sector by emphasising on organic farming through development of organic corridors.
"Organic farming is one of the focus areas of the agriculture road map. We will promote organic farming and help farmers opt for it in areas along the river Ganga for protection of environment," he said.
Kumar pointed out that 76 per cent of Bihar's population was dependent on agriculture for livelihood.
He claimed that Bihar had recorded growth and improvement in the agriculture sector since the first agriculture road map was implemented for 2008-12, followed by the second for 2012-17. "Our rice, wheat, maize, potato and vegetables production have remarkably increased."
The Chief Minister has repeatedly said that he wanted to have one or two agriculture products from the state on the plate of every Indian in the coming years.
Agriculture is the backbone of Bihar's economy, employing 81 per cent of the workforce and generating nearly 42 per cent of the state's domestic product, according to the state government figures.
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Karnataka Guv to halve convoy size following PM Modi's austerity call
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Thursday reduced the size of his official convoy to the minimum required strength following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's austerity call.
In a post on 'X', the Lok Bhavan said Gehlot had taken the step in response to the Prime Minister's appeal for fuel conservation and reduction in foreign exchange expenditure amid the West Asia crisis.
"Hon'ble Governor of Karnataka Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot has reduced his convoy to the minimum required strength, following Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji's appeal," the post said.
The move comes days after Modi, while addressing a rally organised by the BJP in Hyderabad, called for several measures aimed at conserving foreign exchange and reducing dependence on imports amid tensions in West Asia.
The Prime Minister had urged citizens to reduce petrol and diesel consumption, use metro rail services in cities, adopt carpooling, increase the use of electric vehicles and utilise railway services for parcel transportation. He had also suggested working from home wherever possible to conserve fuel and foreign exchange.
Modi further appealed to people to postpone the purchase of gold and foreign travel for one year, reduce edible oil consumption, lower dependence on chemical fertilisers and promote natural farming and swadeshi products to strengthen self-reliance and conserve foreign exchange.
