Photo Courtesy: nenews
Guwahati: Assam Agriculture Minister Pijush Hazarika has directed regional officials to prioritize farmer registration to ensure more families can access government welfare initiatives. During a review meeting at the Assam Administrative Staff College in Guwahati, Hazarika noted that while 50 lakh families in the state rely on agriculture, only 24 lakh are currently registered. He has ordered a special campaign to add between 5 and 7 lakh farmers to the system over the next six months.
The minister also called for the accelerated creation of identification documents for the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, or PM-KISAN, scheme. Addressing staff, he emphasized the need for high standards of service, stating that officers of the Agriculture and Irrigation departments must maintain a strong work culture and remain committed to timely service delivery.
Hazarika took a firm stance on the distribution of agricultural supplies, responding to complaints from farmers in Dimoria by ordering that seeds be delivered at least one month ahead of the planting season. He warned that any agencies providing poor-quality seeds or delaying deliveries will face severe consequences, including potential blacklisting, license revocation, and legal prosecution. Similar disciplinary actions will be applied to those found black-marketing fertilizers.
To bolster rural economic growth, Hazarika urged farmers to diversify their output. He advised the department to shift focus toward horticulture and rabi crops rather than relying exclusively on rice cultivation.
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