The Planning Commission is hopeful of a good growth in the agriculture sector during the XII Plan (2012-17). “The 4-per cent agriculture growth is a good target for the XII Plan, which could not be achieved so far as envisaged in the XI Plan (2007-12),” Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia told journalists here on Thursday. “I think at the end of the XI Plan, our assessment is that agriculture...
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Rational use of groundwater
The Planning Commission’s advice to the Haryana government to levy a cess on agricultural power to raise funds for replenishing dwindling groundwater is wise counsel that is likely to fall on deaf ears. There is no denying that the continuous decline in groundwater levels across the subcontinent and weak attempts at replenishment constitute a grave threat to human security in this part of the world. Haryana is not a lonely...
More »Harnessing Potential of Rain-Fed Farming by Sant Bahadur
In India, of the total cultivated area of around 140.30 million hectares only 60.86 million is irrigated and remaining 79.44 million hectares is rain-fed. Rain-fed crops account for 48 percent area under food crops and 68 percent of the area under non-food crops. Irrigated land accounts for nearly 55 percent of food production while rain-fed contributes just about 45 percent. Rain-fed farming is risk prone and is characterized by low...
More »Government Approves Scheme for Menstrual Hygiene
In a bid to promote menstrual hygiene among adolescent girls, the Government has approved Rs 150 Crore scheme to increase access to and use of high quality sanitary napkins to adolescent girls in rural areas. The scheme envisages supplying a pack of six sanitary napkins to Below Poverty Line (BPL) girls at a nominal cost of Re. 1 per pack. All girls in the Above Poverty Line (APL) category will...
More »53.5 Thousand New Male Health Workers for Sub Health Centres in Disease-Prone Districts
In a big boost to Public Health System, the government approved hiring of more than 53500 male health workers for all the Sub Health Centers (SHC) in 235 high focus districts from the point of view of disease control. The total costs for providing the male health workers on contract at the 53,544 SHCs in the 235 high focus districts would be Rs. 385.52 crores per year and the central...
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