Promising humanitarian measures to alleviate the distress of farmers, Governor Vajubhai Vala on Monday appealed to them not to resort to committing suicide for any reason. He outlined the plans of the Janata Dal (S)-Congress coalition government to focus on improving farm productivity and adopt technology to improve farm earning.
The government is keen to pioneer pilot projects and models to ensure fair returns to cultivators and to become the “voice of the voiceless farmer,” he said. The agriculturist, he said, should move from dependence on monsoon to cultivation based on the available water resources and the government’s objective is to equip farmers to adopt modern agricultural technology.
“The government desires that farmers adopt practices based on the Israeli model [of agriculture]. Officials will visit the fields to advise farmers on cultivation based on seasonal conditions and water availability,” Mr. Vala said in his address to a joint session of the legislature.
His address, however, did not touch upon the contentious issue of farm loan waiver.
Outlining the vision of the new government, Mr. Vala said education, health, and shelter were the priorities. By forging new paths with a new vision, the government is committed to the welfare and development of all sections of society by devising programmes for the comprehensive development of both rural and urban areas, he said. He also said that effective skill development would be taken up to empower unemployed youth and data on all ex-servicemen of the State linked to the Skill Development Department to provide post-retirement rehabilitation.
Among other things, the Governor announced the setting up of cyber forensic laboratories, enhancement of representation of women in the Police Department in the next five years, setting up Nirbhaya Kendras in all Police Commissioner’s offices, formulation of a State fodder security policy, and establishment of a skin processing and tanning centre. Saying that ‘Arogya Karnataka’ would be rolled out fully, he said the focus would be on bringing maternal mortality and infant mortality rates down to the lowest in the country over the next seven years.
On Bengaluru, Mr. Vala said that the government was aware of the infrastructure gaps in the city and that it was necessary to effectively implement traffic control, drinking water systems, and housing programmes.