GUNTUR: Minister for agriculture Prathipati Pulla Rao said here Sunday that an agriculture university will be set up at Lam village in the district and the government will initially release Rs 50 crore for the purpose. He also said that the state government is preparing to take alternative steps for kharif cultivation as all the districts are witnessing deficit in rainfall.
Addressing a press conference, Pulla Rao said that the state government had urged the Centre to set up a regional fisheries development board affiliated to the National Fisheries Development Board (NFDB), Hyderabad, in Andhra Pradesh.
“We have urged the Centre to release at least Rs 500 cr to adopt drip irrigation system in the rain-deficit districts. It has agreed to release Rs 340 crore but the grant will be released only after the state is accorded special category status,” he added.
Speaking on the government’s preparedness for the kharif season, the minister said that adequate quantity of seeds and fertilisers were kept available for the farmers and added that the government was going to conduct awareness campaign on the usage of modern techniques in agriculture. He also said that the Centre had sanctioned four ‘Krishi Vignan Kendrams’ to help farmers in adopt latest technology.
He also said that the state government was trying to focus on soil tests and provide nutrients for the enrichment of the soil which may cost Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore.
The agriculture minister alleged that YSRC president YS Jaganmohan Reddy had failed as the Opposition leader and added that the latter had no right to criticise chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu with regard to implementation of the loan waiver or any other scheme.
“We are making efforts to fulfil all our poll promises, but we do not have any ‘Akshaya Patra’ or ‘Mantra Dandam’ to solve all the issues at one go.” he added.