National Bank of Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) would be adopting villages for developing as Herbal Villages with a view to give boost to herbal cultivation in the State so as to strengthen the economy of the farmers. This was revealed by Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, after meeting with the Senior Officer of the National Bank for Agriculture Development (NABARD), here today.

Chief Minster said that it was heartening to learn that NABARD had already adopted 20 villages in Himachal Pradesh for developing the same as Herbal Villages while 40 more villages were likely to be adopted by the bank under Village Development Plan. He said that such an initiative of the Bank would supplement the endeavour of the State Government to motivate farmers to go for herbal cash crop cultivation and strengthen the rural economy. He said that a massive herbal plantation campaign had been launched in the State and farmers were being provided free herbal plants for cultivation in their private land.

Prof. Dhumal thanked the NABARD for extending help in implementation of Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan Baagwan Samridhi Yojna and Doodh Ganga Yojna aimed at giving new direction to the farming practices in the State. He said that Rs. 353 crore Pandit Deen Dayal Kisaan Baagwan Samridhi Yojna was yielding desired results as large number of farmers were coming forward to avail benefits under the Scheme. Subsidy upto 80 percent was being provided for construction of poly-houses and micro irrigation schemes to the beneficiaries under the scheme. He said that so far over five thousand farmers had availed loan facility and the project was likely to be completed in three year. He said that additionally another ambitious Rs. 300 crore ‘Doodh Ganga’ scheme being implemented with the assistance of NABARD was bound to give boost to animal husbandry and dairy

farming things to supplement the income of the people in rural areas. He said that the farm sector was poised to emerge a major employment and self employment generating sector to the rural youth who could find income generating activities through modernization of the traditional farming and dairy farming practices at their door steps.

Chief Minister appreciated the cooperation extended to the State Government by the outgoing Chief General Manager of NABARD Shri S.T.Raghuraman in getting sanctioned various schemes for the State which had revolutionized the agriculture sector. He welcomed the new incumbent Shri Arjun Ratnoo to the State and hoped that he would follow the foot steps of his predecessor. He assured him all help from the State Government in carrying forward with banking activities in the State.

Shri S.T.Raghuraman, Chief General Manager, thanked the Chief Minister for the cooperation of the State Government for corporoation in implementing Bank funded schemes. He suggested for opening of retail outlets all over the State for the poly house produce and dairy products under both the schemes so that ready market was made available to the farming communities. He also suggested that the primary societies in the state needed to be motivated to take benefit of the loans under different schemes of the bank where they would be charged a nominal rate of interest as compared to the borrowings from other commercial banks. He appreciated the launching of AGRINET service in the State Government and the SMS service would be supplementing the same service in the State.