CM Distributes Krishi, Krishi Pandit Awards, Plans Agri GIM
From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore
Bangalore, Feb 17: Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is scheduled present a first of its kind Agricultural Budget in the State Legislature in the entire country on February 24, conferred Krishi and Krishi Pandit awards for the year 2009-10 on 32 progressive and organic farmers at a function in Bangalore on Thursday.
Announcing his intention to create history and a record by coming out with a novel exclusive budget for agriculture, on the model of the Union Railway Budget apart from the Union General Budget, Yeddyurappa said the budget would focus on agriculture to infuse confidence among the farmers and to increase the farm productivity.
A global investors’ meet on agriculture would be organised in June and it has targeted to attract 52,000 crore investment in various fields of the sector, he said.
The Chief Minister presented Krishi awards to 12 farmers and Krishi Pandit awards to 20 farmers in the categories of integrated farming, organic farming, water management, and development of agricultural implements.
The Krishi awards comprise cash prize of Rs. 30,000, Rs. 20,000 and Rs. 10,000 for the first, second and third prizes, respectively. Since its inception (1992-93), 7560 farmers bagged the awards.
The Krishi Pandit awards comprises of cash prize of Rs one lakh, Rs. 50,000 and Rs. 25,000 for the first, second and third prizes, respectively, and a certificate.
The award winning farmers had shown that the agriculture would be a profitable profession if the family put all efforts and adopt innovative farming methods, the Chief Minister said.
The Krishi awardees are: M Pravathamma, Mallikajunappa, both Davanagere, and Erappa Bandeppa Meti of Bagalkote (maize, irrigated category); D Gonnemma of Davanagere, Nagaraje Gowda and Mahadevappa of Mysore (kharif jowar rainfed); Gurudevi of Bijapur, Rukminibaayi and Siddappa Basappa Hullora of Bijapur (Bengalgram, rainfed); Appanna Bheeme Gowda of Belgaum, Mallappa Erappa Meti of Bagalkote and Krishnappa Shankarappa of Bijapur (sugarcane, irrigated).
Only two farmers – H Sadananda of Bangalore Rural and Basaappa Chennabasappa Handi of Dharwad - bagged the Krishi Pandit prizes involving cash of Rs one lakh.
While Sadananda secured the prize in the category of integrated farming and crop diversification and Handi in the field of organic farming.
Other winners of Krishi Pandit awards are: Subbareddy of Chickkaballapur, Anjanappa and Parvathamma of Davanagere, Sharadamma of Hassan, K V Krishna Rao of Raichur, Shivappa Hanumappa Haadimani of Bagalkote, Mariswami N Bellari of Raichur, Suvarnamma and Prabhakar of Davanagere, K B Munaraja Ballala of Udupi, B M Shivayogi of Davanagere, John Veigas of Dakshina Kannada, Ashoka Ramu Dumale of Belgaum, T Kotrappa of Bellary, Pampanagowda Dandappa Gowda of Gulbarga, Nirapadaiha Kalakaiha Karadagi of Gadag and Paramananda Manappa Badigeri of Bijapur. All these farmers received cash prize of Rs. 25,000 each.
The Chief Minister also launched a K-Kisan Project to provide various services to farmers though information and communication technology (ICT).
The K-Kisan project would connect 747 Raitha Samparka Kendras (RSK), 176 taluk assistant director of agricultural offices, 23 district agriculture training centres, 48 laboratories, 30 district joint director of agricultural offices, head office and the Secretariat (agriculture).
The project would provide information to farmers about various schemes and programmes of the department, delivery of inputs and climatic conditions.
Yeddyuappa said that steps have been taken for construction of 100 RSK buildings with an outlay of Rs. 25 crore.
Of the 747 RSKs, 148 have been housed in own buildings and rest of them have been functioning in rented buildings.
Grama Panchayats to Get Technical Assistants
For effective implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, the State Government has decided to appoint a technical assistant who will oversee the work of four gram panchayats (GPs) each in the State for all the 5628 GPs in the State.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister Jagadish Shettar, who chaired a meeting of a Vigilance Committee of the job scheme, said technical assistants would be appointed in order provide inputs during construction of various works, including school compounds and pits.
Candidates having diploma in engineering would be appointed as technical assistants and they would paid monthly salary of Rs. 8,000.
As on December 31, 2010, 51.16 lakh job cards had been issued and 13.97 lakh families had been given jobs.
A sum of Rs. 1492.38 crore had been released to 30 districts and Rs. 1169 crore had been spent.
A survey was conducted for validation of job cards in various districts and 69 per cent of cards had been validated. Nearly 80 per cent of cards would be validated by March 31, 2011, Shettar said.
Stating that Ombudsman have been appointed in 14 districts for hearing the grievances of the works executed in the scheme, Shettar said the department has not found suitable candidates in rest of the districts. More works would be brought under MGNREGS, he said.
Guidelines have been issued for building compound walls of government and aided schools in the State. Several works of the horticulture and social forestry have also been covered under the scheme.
The Centre has been urged to allow the Government to take up sanitation works under the job scheme. The Centre has launched Total Sanitation Campaign to ensure toilets for all households. Against the target of 58 lakh toilets, the Department had constructed 34 lakh toilets.
The progress of the sanitation campaign was tardy in districts of north Karnataka, Mandya, Hassan, and Ramangaram. The Government grants Rs 3000 subsidy for individual households for construction of toilets, the minister said.
A decision was also taken to take works of 3714 km rural road works costing Rs. 1070 crore in the State.