The conversion of agricultural land will not be allowed and only those lands which cannot be used for farming purposes will be given legal sanction, Agriculture Minister K P Mohan has said.
He was replying to reporters’ queries about the Government order legalising conversion of agricultural land till 2005, while on a visit to the Dhoni farm here on Thursday.
The Minister said that the full amount for the paddy procured could not be given to the farmers because more area would have to be brought under cultivation in other districts.
Earlier, paddy cultivation was carried out only in Palakkad and in the Kuttanad region.
Now, paddy production had gone up to 5 lakh tonnes from the earlier 2 lakh tonnes.
Therefore, Supplyco needed an additional Rs 312 crore for payment to the farmers, he said. Of the outstanding amount of Rs 79 crore, a sum of Rs 44 crore was released to the farmers on Wednesday.
The remaining amount will be disbursed before Onam, the minister assured. Later, addressing the meet held to review the problems of the agriculture sector at the Sumangali auditorium in Yakkara, the minister said that the officials of the Agriculture Department needed to set an example for others by carrying out agricultural activities and poultry farming in their own lands.
K Achuthan MLA and District Collector Ali Asghar Pasha, were among those who participated in the review meet.