Report: Reaching Farmers with Best Farm Practices
It is an undisputed fact that if the country has to progress, the villages will have to progress and if villages have to progress, agriculture has to be made profitable. Taking a big initiative to educate the farmers about best farming practices so that it becomes profitable, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an exclusive television channel, DD Kisan, for farmers on May 26. The step is being seen a big step for empowerment of farmers.
“Once agriculture used to be the first choice of occupation in our country but now it is the last option to be exercised by youth in villages. The cycle has turned anti-clockwise. I think it needs to be turned back once again. The youth, who have turned away from farming can again take it up, if we bring modern technology to the farm and field,” the PM said stressing the need to create an atmosphere of competition in farm production at the tehsil level.
Calling upon the farmers and agriculture experts to use modern science to give another boost to the sector, the Prime Minister set a target of increasing foodgrain productivity from present average 2 tonnes per hectare to 3 tonnes per hectare. For it, he stressed the need for adopting multi-cropping and diversification. He stressed on three-pronged approach to agriculture—balanced farming, animal husbandry and tree plantation. He hoped that the newly launched channel would keep an eye on and inform farmers about changes in weather, global markets, etc., so they can plan ahead and take the right decisions well in time.
Union Agriculture Minister Radhamohan Singh described the launch of the channel as a golden moment for farmers as it would help in taking new research technologies from “Lab to the Land”. Prasar Bharati chairperson A Surya Prakash said the best of the programmes from DD Kisan would be dubbed and broadcast in all regional channels. Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the channel would cover agriculture, rural areas and also areas like horticulture, food processing and animal husbandry.
Power With Difference
To be the ‘Power With Difference’, BJP to create mechanism for people-party-Govt-co-ordination.
BJP in Maharashtra is all set to create a mechanism for people-party-government-co-ordination to become ‘Power With Difference’. This was the mood and outcome of the State Executive Committee Conclave held at Gopinath Munde Nagar in Kolhapur on May 23-24, 2015.
The Pradesh meet was attended by BJP stalwarts from State and Centre including BJP President Amit Shah. Chief Minister and outgoing BJP State President Devendra Fadnavis handed over the charge to the new State President Raosaheb Danave, calling him “Crorepati”, as Maharashtra BJP has crossed over one crore membership mark under his leadership in last few months. Amit Shah suggested to create the mechanism for people-party-government-co-ordination. The suggestion was accepted outrightly at the conclave. From now on, every BJP minister will attend State party office for four hours every week to interact with party workers and common people.
Reminding the legacy of erstwhile BJP/Jan Sangh presidents like Syama Prasad Mukherjee, Deendayal Upadhyaya, Atal Behari Vajpayee etc, BJP President Amit Shah called upon party workers to become co-ordinator between people and government. He also listed out initiatives taken by Modi Government during the last one year. The world is seeing at India differently and the ultimate beneficiary will be the common man of this country,” Shah added. “BJP Government is farmers’ government”, declared Shah.
While Fadnavis informed the State BJP executive about his government’s new initiatives and schemes, he warned that no corruption at any level will be tolerated. He called upon the party workers to work harder to bring ground level transformation in the State.
State President Ravsaheb Danve listed out the roadmap for organisational strengthening of the party under his leadership in his hour long speech.
Education and Cultural Minister Vinod Tawde informed the executive about various measures decided for party and government co-ordination. He also called upon the party workers to increase the studiousness and academic abilities regarding government and administrative work. The State conclave ended in a public meeting which was addressed by Nitin Gadkari. Gadkari’s speech was more of an inspiration for the State executive. He also guided the State executive about the reality of Land Acquisition Act.
—Rajesh Prabhu Salgaonkar
