‘3,204 villages picked for agri development’

CHENNAI: Agriculture Minister MRK Panneerselvam on Tuesday said that 3,204 villages were selected under Kalaignarin All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Programme. He asked the farmers to come forward to register under the programme.

“Preliminary works in all the 3,204 villages such as identifying barren lands in Kalaignarin All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Programme have commenced and farmers willing to be part of the programme can enroll in “Uzhavan” app or in www.tnagrisnet.gov.in or www.tnhorticulture.tn.gov.in or in www.mis.aed.tn.gov.in. I (Panneerselvam) urge the farmers to enroll in the Kalaignarin All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Programme for the overall development of agriculture and to make villages self-sufficient.” said the Minister in a statement.

The Kalaignarin All Village Integrated Agriculture Development Programme was launched in 2021-22 with the objective of identifying barren lands in all the 12,525 village panchayats and to put them into farming. Under the scheme, the barren lands will be identified as lack pockets and farmers will be grouped for farming.

With the help of the Agriculture Engineering Department of the state government, the works to provide water resources for farming will commence. The department will either go for a full-fledged well or will install water motors in the identified barren lands or from neighbouring poramboke land, wherever water is available.

In 2021-22, when the programme was initially launched, the state government identified 1,997 village panchayats in which 980 pockets of barren lands were identified for developing farming. Studies were carried out and in 656 barren land pockets works to set up wells or motors commenced and works have been completed in 428 village panchayats. Efforts to get electricity connection for the water pumping motors is underway. Steps are also taken to establish solar water pumping motors in 61 places and works have been completed in 12 places, he said.

The Minister further said that the state government allotted Rs 227.059 crore for the year 2021-22 to complete the undertaken works.