Haryana to set up six lakh tonne silo capacity for storage of foodgrains in Chandigarh

The Haryana government Thursday decided to set up six lakh tonne capacity of silo for storage of foodgrains with the support of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard). The creation of new silo capacity will involve a capital outlay of Rs 200 crore.

A decision to this effect was taken in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar here to review the progress of various projects being undertaken in the state with the assistance of Nabard, an official release stated. Finance minister Abhimanyu and Chairman Nabard Harsh Kumar Bhanwala were also present in the meeting.

The chief minister said a proposal for creating silo capacity will be sent to Nabard for releasing funds. The consensus was also reached between both the state government and Nabard to hold quarterly meetings to fast track various development works being implemented in the state.

Khattar directed concerned officers to give priority for drinking water, water conservation or irrigation project with the support of Nabard. “Water is a big issue as even Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also expressed concern on this and stressed the need for water conservation,” he said.

He said the state government recently launched 'Jal Hi Jeevan Hai' scheme to encourage the farmers to shift from water-guzzling crops like paddy and adopt alternative crops such as maize which require comparatively less water. The scheme has got tremendous response from the farmers as the area under maize sowing has reached 50,000 acres in the state.

The chief minister directed the irrigation and water resources department to explore possibilities of taking up the project for rejuvenation and remodelling of 14,000 rural ponds in the state under any scheme of Nabard. The state government has also constituted Haryana Pond and Waste Water Management Authority for the rejuvenation of ponds and ensuring continues flow of water so that the same could be utilised for irrigation and other purposes, he said.

He also asked the agriculture and farmer's welfare department to prepare a project for the improvement of saline and waterlogged land in the state. Nabard Chairman Bhanwala assured all possible assistance to the state government for ensuring rural development.

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