GUWAHATI, Dec 1: Six months after assessing the encroachment by illegal settlers at Gorukhuti in central Assam’s Darrang district, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday paid a visit to the site and took stock of the drastic progress made under the Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agriculture Project.
Lauding the efforts of project chairman, Padma Hazarika, besides MLAs, Mrinal Saikia and Paramananda Rajbongshi, for the transformation, Sarma, while addressing a public meeting, urged all sections of the society to support the multipurpose agriculture project to make it one of the best in the country.
“We still have to import eggs, fish, chicken, pork from outside. But to prevent this, Assam must become self reliant for its food products to become a developed state,” he said.
Informing that over 5000 bighas of land in Gorukhuti have been turned into agriculture fields, out of which 2731 bighas have been utilised for mustard cultivation, the chief minister called on the youth of the state to take up agriculture in a big way instead of running after government jobs and easy money.
“Let us make Gorukhuti a shining example of Assamese pride and prestige, which will inspire our youths to work hard and prosper,” he asserted.
The chief minister further called on the youth to dedicate themselves in the farm fields as Assam’s fertile lands were occupied by illegal infiltrators, apparently taking advantage of the disinterest shown by the indigenous people for hard work.
He also said that Assam must aspire to compete with states like Gujarat and Punjab in dairy and agriculture.
It may be recalled that after the chief minister’s initial visit to Gorukhuti in June this year, the state Cabinet took decision to free the encroached areas and start farming activities in a big way there.
During the visit, the chief minister also laid the foundation of a slew of projects, including that of the Dholpur Bhagawat Namghar, for which he announced Rs 1 crore.
He interacted with agro-soldier volunteers engaged in the Gorukhuti Multipurpose Agriculture Project and distributed warm clothes among them.
Sarma also visited agricultural fields and piggery farms at Dholpur and interacted with the farmers while inaugurating an anti-erosion project at Moranoi in Dholpur.
