Promising to bring about a revolution in water conservation in the country, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said within next five years the farmers net worth is targeted to be doubled and for it river interlinking is the key. As to region specific, the areas identified for harnessing are milk collection, honey, bamboo and fisheries and plans are going to rollout so that farmers suicides stops all together. There is great potential and already with entry of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) the price of milk per litre has reached Rs 47 for farmers and in future 20 lakh litres target is set from Vidarbha and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh.
He was speaking at a book release function held in city on Sunday at Deshpande Hall.He however stressed the need for a change in perception about role of private parties in development of public projects, citing success achieved in telecom market and roads sector. Today we have got far better roads and no one was taxed and same with telecom where now calling is damn cheap as compared to few years back. The unnecessary clinging to socialism era has hampered the growth of India, stated Gadkari, known for his frank opinion about policy issues.
About river interlinking he said three of the five projects with outlay of Rs. 50,000 crores have been sanctioned today itself and explained how interlinking of Damanganga with Godavari is going to benefit the State. The blue print for transfer of surplus water from Barhamaputra basin to Mahanadi and further to Godavari basin too is ready and we would start work on it very soon, even as Gadkari reiterated that Government is committed to protection of ecology and environment.
Gadkari was speaking at the function to release book, Dhandola Sheticha, written by former Maharashtra Minister Shobhatai Fadnavis. Chandrashekhar Bawankule, Guardian Minister, Dr Sharad Nimbalkar, former Vice Chancellor, Dr Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, were the chief guest. Mayor Nanda Jichkar, President of Nagpur Zilla Parishad, Nisha Sawarkar, Member of Parliament (MP) Dr Vikas Mahatme, Legislators Nago Ganar, D Mallikarjun Reddy and Raju Kunawar were also present along with Vishwas Pathak.
Speaking further, Gadkari said it's quite typical of our country that we import bamboo for making incense sticks while huge wasteland lies unutilised in our own backyard while informing about ITC's proposed Rs 500 crore investment in Chandrapur for bamboo cultivation. Similarly there is need for setting-up coal gassification project for production of Urea so that prices can be brought down as there is now way minimum support prices (MSP) of wheat and paddy could be increased.
Similarly the artificial insemination project to be implemented by Patanjali in region would also transform the agriculture economy and asked that farmers need to tap income generation from additional sources like poultry, milk collection, honey collection etc.
Earlier, Shobha Fadnavis elaborated on her book, Dhandola Sheticha, which is a complication of problems governing the agriculture sector. Though crops loan waiver is one solution but it cannot stop farmers from committing suicides as entire gamut of agriculture needs to be studied.
Dr Smita Mahurkar conducted the programme.
