Tomar,Yediyurappa inaugurate 3 centres of excellence under Indo-Israel Agriculture Project in K'taka
New Delhi, Jun 16: Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Wednesday jointly inaugurated three centres of excellence (CoE) established in Karnataka under the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project.
After the virtual inauguration, Tomar said, "These centres will help the farming community of Karnataka to get access to the latest innovative Israeli technologies and adopt them to increase production and productivity that will help in increasing the farmers' income."
These CoEs have the capacity of 50,000 grafts production and 25 lakh vegetables seedlings production annually. About 20,000 farmers have visited these CoEs to gain knowledge about the modern cultivation practices in horticulture, an official statement quoted him as saying during the event.
Under a bilateral cooperation, India and Israel have about 29 operational CoEs that have been set up across India in 12 states, implementing advanced Israeli Agro-Technology tailored to local conditions.
Out of these 29 fully functional CoEs, three are from Karnataka located in Kolar for mango, Bagalkot for pomegranate, and Dharwad for vegetables. These CoEs generate knowledge, demonstrate best practices and train officers and farmers.
The Karnataka chief minister thanked the Union government and Israel for providing financial and technical assistance for establishment of CoEs under the Indo-Israel Agriculture Project (IIAP) in Karnataka.
State Horticulture and Sericulture Minister R Shankar said there is a lot of scope for adoption of new technologies in crop production and post-harvest management, to increase the production and productivity of the horticulture produce in Karnataka.
And, Karnataka farmers are progressive to adopt innovative technologies developed by these centres, he added.
Ambassador of Israel to India Ron Malka said, "This is a milestone in the development of the state's agriculture sector, and will give local farmers a competitive edge in the national and international market."
This will also enable them to double their income, aligned with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
Agriculture Secretary Sanjay Agarwal and senior officers of Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Karnataka government were present in the event.
ಕೇಂದ್ರ ಕೃಷಿ ಸಚಿವ @nstomar ರವರು ಇಂದು ಇಂಡೋ-ಇಸ್ರೇಲ್ ಕೃಷಿ ಯೋಜನೆಯಡಿ ಕೋಲಾರ, ಬಾಗಲಕೋಟೆ ಮತ್ತು ಧಾರವಾಡ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ತೋಟಗಾರಿಕಾ ಬೆಳೆಗಳ ಉತ್ಕೃಷ್ಟತಾ ಕೇಂದ್ರಗಳನ್ನು ವರ್ಚುಯಲ್ ವೇದಿಕೆ ಮೂಲಕ ಉದ್ಘಾಟಿಸಿದರು. ಮುಖ್ಯಮಂತ್ರಿ @BSYBJP ರವರು ಕಾರ್ಯಕ್ರಮದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾಲ್ಗೊಂಡಿದ್ದರು. (1/2)@PMOIndia @IsraelinIndia @AgriGoI pic.twitter.com/M2InxGy6Y2
— CM of Karnataka (@CMofKarnataka) June 16, 2021
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Rajnath Singh chairs IGoM meet, urges constant vigil over West Asia crisis
New Delhi (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday emphasised the need for round-the-clock monitoring of the West Asia conflict and called for a calibrated response to deal with any eventuality to ensure that national interests remain protected.
Singh made the comments while chairing a high-level meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) set-up to monitor the situation in West Asia.
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, Power Minister Manohar Lal, Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister J P Nadda, Consumer Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi and Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw.
In view of the "uncertain situation", the defence minister underlined the importance of round-the-clock monitoring of the situation and the need to respond in a calibrated manner to deal with any eventuality, an official readout said.
He stressed on the need to leave no stone unturned to ensure that the people of the country face the minimum effect of the conflict, it said.
It was the second meeting of the IGoM after it was set up last month.
The IGoM was apprised of the measures being taken by the government in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, Singh said on social media.
"We also deliberated upon the next steps to be taken by the government to mitigate any adverse impact arising due to the ongoing conflict," he said.
The defence ministry said in the readout said, "In the meeting, the seven empowered groups of secretaries briefed the IGoM on the steps being taken to tackle the situation."
"The IGoM was apprised about measures undertaken by the Ministry of Finance to address concerns arising due to global trade disruptions and provide relief and support to the industry, especially manufacturing, and bolster investor confidence," it said.
It listed measures including notification issued on Wednesday on full customs duty exemption on 40 critical petrochemical products till June 30.
The ministry also mentioned announcement of a special one-time relief measure for eligible units in SEZs to sell manufactured goods in Domestic Tariff Area (DTA) at concessional customs duty rates to be effective from April 1 to March 31.
It also noted another notification issued by the Department of Revenue clarifying that the provisions of GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) will not be invoked in respect of investments made prior to April 1, 2017.
"These measures will reduce cost pressures on downstream sectors including textiles, packaging and pharmaceuticals, facilitate supply stability in the country and provide requisite clarity for investors contemplating investments in India," the readout said.
Defence Minister Singh appreciated the government's decision to impose a 25 per cent cap on the monthly increase in aviation turbine fuel prices for domestic operations, with effect from April 1.
This step will help protect the people from sudden increase in fares, he said.
The government has accorded highest priority to domestic LPG supply, with refinery production enhanced to fully meet consumption requirements, according to the readout.
"The IGoM was informed that there have been no reports of dry-out at LPG distributorships, and delivery of domestic LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) cylinders continues as per the normal schedule. The temporary supply concerns arose due to instances of hoarding and black marketing, which triggered panic buying in certain areas," it said.
The ministers were informed that strict enforcement action is being undertaken, with raids being carried out across multiple states and Union territories to curb hoarding and black marketing of LPG, the ministry said in the readout.
Action has also been taken against some LPG distributors who engaged in malpractices, it said.
"To support migrant labour and low-consumption households, the government is ensuring adequate availability of 5 kg free trade LPG cylinders, and since March 23, over 4.3 lakh such cylinders have been sold. Special focus is being given to states where demand is higher," it said.
The IGoM was apprised that industrial requirements dependent on commercial LPG are being met, with over 80 per cent of pre-crisis supply levels being maintained to ensure continuity of operations.
"Special meetings have been held with ministries and stakeholders of different industries to understand their demand and meet their needs. Oil PSUs are ensuring continued supply of Auto LPG across the country," the readout noted.
"However, some supply constraints are being faced by private operators due to their procurement challenges, which is why lines are being observed at PSU auto LPG pumps. Wherever the autos are dual feed and can use petrol, they are being encouraged to use petrol," it said.
