Schemes worth Rs 1,095 cr launched to benefit farmers: Dhumal

Shimla, February 19(PTI) Himachal Pradesh Chief ministerPrem Kumar Dhumal today said that state has launched threeschemes worth Rs 1,095 crore to benefit the farmers.

Dhumal, who was inaugurating the state-level conventionof Himachal Kisan Morcha at Hamirpur, said that during thelast three years the government had launched big schemes tostrengthen the farming sector.

They included Rs 353 crore Pandit Deen Dayal Kisan-BagwanSamridhi Yojna, Rs 300 crore Doodh Ganga Yojna and Rs 442crore project sanctioned by JICA, Japan to promote organicfarming for diversification in agriculture.

About 16,500 poly houses were being set up in the state,for which 90 per cent subsidy was provided to BPL families and80 per cent to general category to construct bamboo poly-houses, he added.

Further, loans upto Rs 15-lakh were being advanced atsubsidised rate of interest under Doodh Ganga Yojna, whereinfarmers could rear elite breed of milch cattle to increasemilk production, Dhumal said.

Further, he said the state government was motivatingfarmers to set up vermi-compost units and get the soil testingdone for diversifying their crops.