By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 23: Trinamool leader Mukul Sangma on Friday said that he has reliable inputs regarding dubious schemes under the mission organic.
“In view of the fact that the state had embarked upon mission organic almost ten years back and sustainable amount spend from state fund and government of India there is a need to be really transparent and cautious on the possibility of duplicity in implementation of schemes,” said Mukul while raising a supplementary question during the question hour.
He said, “As per the inputs I have some apprehensions that there have been some duplicities in implementing the schemes – meaning the areas which have been already taken up under the state plan was duplicitously taken up by the implementing firm to spend the fund allocated by the government of India.”
“Therefore I would like to know in view of this transition from the earlier mission organic to this new initiative which is also the continuum of the previous policy, what is the total area which has been covered as far as organic certification is concerned respectively by the funds contributed by the state and the Centre in tandem,” he asked.
In reply Minister in-Charge of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, Ampareen Lyngdoh said the query raised encompasses a huge reply as there are various components of sanctions and areas that the government has already achieved.
Mukul rasied another supplementary question, “Keeping in mind the constraint of convincing people for transfer rather converting nonorganic to organic mode, what is the total number of farmers participated so far and how many certification have been issued for the farmers who have agreed to participate in programmes under mission organic”.
Lyngdoh, replied under the mission organic value chaine development for Northeast region, the area wise physical progress and number of farmers. The government had targeted 6000 and have achieved 6000 and number of farmers targeted was 6000 was targeted and achieved 5126.
She said that the second phase area of 8000 hectares and the state government has achieved the target. She claimed that the department has done much better in the second phase and has included about 9867 farmers already in the programme.
Earlier to a question raised by Leader of the Opposition, Ronnie V Lyngdoh of Congress about the achievements and positive impacts that have been observed since the introduction of the Meghalaya State Organic and Natural farming Policy 2023, Ampareen replied, “An organic society has been formed, named Meghalaya’s Natural and Organic Society for Livelihood and Innovation in Agriculture (MEGNOLIA) to implement organic and natural farming initiatives in the State”.
“The Meghalaya State Organic Mission 2024-28 has been formulated and launched on February 15, 2024, with the ambitious aim of converting and sustaining 100,000 hectares of land under NPOP-certified organic cultivation. Six service providers have been empanelled to facilitate certification processes and implement the mission,” she added.