TURA: Horticulture and Agriculture departments from South West Garo Hills have been directed to target small and marginal farmers in the district who require help and handholding support and not the rich influential farmers having large areas of agricultural lands.
A direction to this effect was given by Deputy Commissioner Ramkumar S while reviewing the monthly report submitted by the District Horticulture Officer, Ampati, Dr.M.N.Sangma during the DC’s systematic review meeting held on Tuesday. The monthly systematic review meetings are being conducted in the district regularly since February this year and the Tuesday’s review meeting was conducted for Agriculture, Horticulture, Cooperative and AH & Veterinary departments.
The Deputy Commissioner expressed his concern saying “why is it always the rich and influential farmers having large areas of agricultural lands who are invariably selected as beneficiaries of various schemes being implemented by these departments? It is always the same person who gets all the benefits, the power tillers and the same person will also be a secretary of different village committees”, he observed.
“Such is the case everywhere in India and there is always a huge gap between the rich and the poor in all rural areas” he added and appealed to the concerned officers to look at small marginal farmers while identifying beneficiaries for horticulture and agricultural schemes so that they can bring about a difference in their lives.
The Deputy Commissioner was also expressed his disappointment over the lack of activities on the part of Cooperative department and directed the Cooperative officials of the district to conduct awareness meetings on Cooperative societies in the villages and submit weekly report of these meetings. He also asked the department look at possibilities of starting a small dairy cooperative body on the line of Amul – an Indian cooperative dairy company.
However, the Deputy Commissioner was happy that there has been marked improvement in the planning and activities of Horticulture, Agriculture and Veterinary departments and reiterated that each department must submit the report of their monthly activities.
Similar review meeting was also conducted for Fishery, PHE, Water Resources, Basin Development, Soil & Water Conservation on Wednesday, while the activities and implementation of schemes by Social Welfare, DCPU, Supply & Tourism departments would be reviewed on Thursday.