By Our Staff Reporter
Dehradun, 29 Dec: Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi held a review meeting with the officials of the Agriculture and Horticulture Departments at his Camp Office, here, today. Minister Joshi instructed the officials to provide high quality apple seedlings and high yielding varieties to the farmers doing horticulture during the winter. In the meeting, Minister Joshi gave instructions to open collection centres for agri-products from the hills like Mandua (Finger millet), Ramdana (Amaranthus), Jhangora(Barnyard Millet) across the state under the Millet Mission, so that farmers could get proper prices for their produce.
Joshi also instructed the officials to make an Agri Mall in Uttarakhand on the lines of UP. He also instructed the officers to find land in Dehradun and prepare an action plan for the Agri Mall. He said that along with the increase in tourists, the construction of an Agri Mall in Dehradun would also promote the organic products of Uttarakhand. Hill products like Mandua, Jhangora, Ramdana, different types of vegetables, fruits, etc., would be available in this Agri Mall. The minister said that the hill products would get a boost with the construction of this Agri Mall.
In the meeting, the minister also directed the officials to implement the Roof Top Gardening Scheme in the state and complete all the preparations for it, including the publicity. He noted that the roof top gardening scheme would be launched on 15 January next year. Dehradun had been taken up as a pilot project under the scheme. A scheme is being started to promote roof top gardening in the urban areas of Dehradun district. Under the scheme, any person living in a rented house and wanting to do gardening on the terrace, would also be able to take advantage of this scheme, provided a no-objection / consent is received from the landlord.
Under the scheme, it will be mandatory for all the registered applicants to get one day roof top gardening training and only successful trainees will get the benefit of financial subsidy under the scheme. To get the benefit of the scheme, the applicants should visit the departmental website dohfp.uk.gov.in. One has to apply online on Roof Top Gardening Link by going to the dashboard and upload Aadhaar card, any certificate of residence in municipality and photocopy of electricity, water bill, bank passbook, photo of empty roof of the house on the application.
Under the scheme, only one person per family residing in the city will be benefited. Those who have minimum 300 square feet area of roof available would be able to get the benefit of this scheme. And under 300 square feet area, 50 percent of the total cost of Rs 50 thousand, that is a maximum Rs 25 thousand would be made available as subsidy. An amount of Rs 5 thousand would go to the beneficiary for getting training under the scheme.
Present on this occasion were Additional Secretary, Agriculture, Ranveer Singh Chauhan, Horticulture, Director, HS Baweja, Agriculture Director Gaurishankar and other departmental officers.
