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Kangra, December 17
Agriculture and Tribal Development Minister Ram Lal Markanda on Monday said a potato chips factory would soon be set up in the Nagrota Bagwan Assembly segment at a cost of Rs 5 crore.
He was addressing a gathering at a function organised by ATMA to honour farmers.
He said Nagrota Bagwan was famous for good quality potatoes. However, in the absence of any chips factory, farmers were not getting the genuine price for their produce. The construction would start as soon as land was identified for the project.
He said the government was paying full attention towards developing a mechanism to provide irrigation facilities to farmers round the year. In order to strengthen irrigation facilities, a new project ‘Jal say krishi ko bal’ ( To strengthen agriculture with water) was started in the state. Under this project, Rs 250 crore would be spent on the construction of check dams and tanks in the next five years to overcome the shortage of irrigation water.
He said the government was extending full financial help for collective solar lift and 90 per cent for individual solar irrigation project to farmers.
The minister said to protect crops from animals, six gausadans would be set up in the state.
He said zero investment and natural farming was being encouraged. The government had earmarked budgetary provisions of Rs 25 crore to strengthen natural farming. MLA, Nagrota Bagwan, Arun Mehra was also present. Earlier, the minister visited an exhibition where the products of farmers from various blocks were displayed.
On the occasion, the minister honoured 40 farmers for their contribution in the field.