Gujarat CM e-launches Agricultural Diversification Scheme, over 1.26 lakh farmers from 14 tribal districts to benefit

New Delhi: Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Vijay Rupani today e-launched the Agricultural Diversification Scheme-2021 for benefitting vanbandhu-farmers in the tribal areas of the state.He said that the state government is working to make agriculture sustainable and profitable in the tribal areas.

Inaugurating the Agricultural Diversification Scheme-2021 through video conferencing from Gandhinagar Mr. Rupani said that, this scheme will benefit more than 126000 Vanbandhu farmers of 14 tribal districts from Ambaji to Umargam in Gujarat. Under this scheme tribal farmers will get fertilizer-seed assistance of Rs. 31 crores in which 45 kg of urea,50 kg of NPK and 50 kg of ammonium sulphate will be provided.

The CM added that, assistance of Rs. 250 crore has been provided to 10 lakh tribal farmers under this scheme in the last ten years.Seeds of crops like maize, Bitter Melon (karela), Calabash (dudhi), tomato, millet, etc. are provided under this scheme.

Mr. Rupani said that,in order to enable the tribal farmers to cultivate on their own and not to be deprived of water, the state government has undertaken massive works to deliver irrigation water at high altitudes through various lift irrigation schemes in the hilly areas of the tribal district.

Further CM added that state government recently launched an irrigation scheme worth Rs.797 crore for Kaprada Dharampur and has been given in-principle approval for Rs. 117 crore for Vatrak reservoir based Meghraj Malpura greenish taluka in Aravalli district. He added that the state government has sanctioned various irrigation schemes worth Rs. 6600 crore in tribal areas in the last four years, the construction of which is underway.Through this, 5.45 lakh acres of land in the tribal area will get irrigation facility.

Chief Minister said that the government has been making efforts to make nature and environment friendly farming in the state.That is why the government has made a plan to make Dang district, a district rich in nature based agriculture.

Expressing the commitment of the state government of the overall development of the vanbandhu farmers, CM said that government has made the tribal’sthe land owners by implementing PASA Act. In which lakhs of tribal children are getting education through Eklavya Model School.

Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi had started the VanbandhuKalyanYojana while he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat. Our government has decided to spend Rs 1 lakh crore for tribal people in next four years by launching VanbandhuKalyanYojana Part-2 in last budget, added CM.

On this occasion,Mr.Rupani addressed the tribal farmers of Banaskantha, Sabarkantha, Aravalli, Mahisagar, Panchmahal, Dahod, Chhotaudepur, Bharuch, Narmada, Navsari, Surat, Tapi, Valsad and Dang districts.

Minister for Tribal Development Mr.GanapatbhaiVasava delivered his welcome note and thanked Chief Minister Mr. Vijay Rupani for successful planning and implementation of VanbandhuKalyanYojana Part -2 and various irrigation schemes worth Rs. 5,000 crore in tribal areas.