Hyderabad: The state government has accepted the proposal to hand over the management of minor irrigation tanks and ponds to the local people. Besides, the committee will take a delegation to the Centre to hold discussion on integrating the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) work with agriculture, stated the agriculture commission chairman, M. Kodanda Reddy, while speaking to reporters.
On setting up of ethanol plants, he said that the commission will present a report to the government on ethanol plants, shortly, and concerns about the pollution from the plants were discussed with Prof Kodandaram and scientist Babu Rao. The companies also gave their presentation in this regard.
“We met the representatives of all political parties and sought their opinions after which our committee was formed. Model farmers will be identified for which modalities are being framed. The cotton farmers in Warangal are being cheated by the Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) on which our MP gave a representation to the Union textile minister,” said the chairman.
On pendency in loan waiver, he opined that these were “courtesy problems” like matching aadhaar numbers and other technical issues.
In another development, the commission chairman met the horticulture department officials and they expressed concerns over the lack of forward movement in the setting up of the turmeric board in Nizamabad. The chairman assured them that the issue would be taken up with the Centre and asked officials to see that the acreage under the crop doesn’t fall.
Kodanda Reddy also asked the officials to ensure the drip irrigation scheme is available to horticulture farmers and take use of central schemes of their (farmers) benefits. The officials, in turn, sought establishment of special sheds for storing horticulture produce as well as facilitating farmers to get better price of their produce.
The officials also raised the issue of drop in horticulture lands around Hyderabad because of the real estate business and sought the government’s intervention to put a check on it.
