Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
LATEST NEWS UPDATES | Elite agri hub awaits nod -ASRP Mukesh

Elite agri hub awaits nod -ASRP Mukesh

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Jan 18, 2015   modified Modified on Jan 18, 2015
-The Telegraph

Ranchi: A centre on the lines of Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), Pusa, New Delhi, gifted to Jharkhand by the Modi government in its first budget in July 2014, is yet to sprout from state agriculture department's drawing board.

In his maiden budget speech, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley allocated Rs 100 crore this fiscal for both Jharkhand and Assam for two agriculture centres in each of these states.

But why Jharkhand, which needs agriculture infrastructure overhaul, hasn't been able to utilise a penny out of the allocated budget is a lesson on the pitfalls of a volatile political climate.

The egos of two former agriculture ministers of the state, Congressmen Yogendra Sao and Banna Gupta, have proved mightier than the research institute project itself.

A senior official of the department explained the hurdles.

"We started working on this project after getting a formal letter from the Centre. After much brainstorming, we zeroed in on a 1,000-hectare undisputed plot in Goriya Karma farm, Hazaribagh. But former minister Sao was hell bent on getting it for his own constituency Barkagaon, also in Hazaribagh. We persuaded him that Goriya Karma or Barkagaon wouldn't make much difference because the district was the same. We also convinced then chief minister Hemant Soren for final approval," he said.

But, around the same time, allegations of Sao running extortion gangs surfaced and he was forced to step down from office in September.

Then Jamshedpur West MLA Banna Gupta replaced Sao as agriculture minister. Then agriculture secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni was replaced by Vishnu Kumar.

After new minister Gupta took charge, he asked officials to junk the earlier plan, the department source claimed.

"Like Sao, he also wanted the elite centre to come up in his own constituency, this time Jamshedpur. Gupta wanted it on 4,000 acres (1,618.7 hectares). But, land hunt was unsuccessful and the state went into Assembly poll mode."

Now, with an entirely new dispensation in the state headed by the BJP, the department is waiting for a meeting with chief minister Raghubar Das , who won from Jamshedpur East, to know about his preferences.

"We will meet the new chief minister. We are also waiting for a new agriculture minister to come. Let them say where they want the research institute to come up. Why work on plans unnecessarily before that?" the official quipped.

He added that getting 1,618.7 hectares free of disputes was an uphill task.

"Even if we spot vacant land and initiate an acquisition drive, it will take ages for the government to provide jobs and compensation to the displaced settlers. Still, let the chief minister apprise us of his target audience for this centre so that we can start working. We will let him know about the Goriya Karma land also," he said.

Another source added that contrary to the general perception of the Narendra Modi government taking clear and speedy decisions, the Centre has not shown urgency for pushing this project in Jharkhand.

"Had that been the case, the Centre would have sent regular reminders to us on the project. That didn't happen. We only got one letter from the Centre informing us about this project after the budget announcement," he said.

Kulkarni, who is back as agriculture secretary, conceded that the project details were yet to be finalised.

"But, we will try to finalise its modalities within this fiscal year (ending March 31, 2015)," he promised.


The Telegraph, 17 January, 2015, http://www.telegraphindia.com/1150118/jsp/frontpage/story_19350712.jsp#.VLuRc3vxyBE


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close