PM to visit Sikkim on Jan 18: Dr Jitendra Agriculture Minister announces organic farming plan for Northeast

STATE TIMES NEWS
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a two-day visit to Sikkim from 18th of this month and important highlights of the visit include focus on Sikkim’s “Organic Programme”, three-day “Sikkim Organic Festival” and an All India National Conference on “Sustainable Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare”. This was disclosed here on at a joint press conference addressed by Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Radha Mohan Singh and Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh. Also present was MoS Agriculture Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Balyan.
Addressing the press conference, Radha Mohan Singh said that government is focusing on “Organic Farming” in Northeast and the 3-day Organic Festival will give a boost to this endeavor. By year 2025, he said, India will be able to provide food for 150 crores of its population.
Referring to group insurance, agriculture investment and land lease investment as his ministry’s priority areas, Radha Mohan Singh said, all these different subjects will be discussed in separate technical sessions during the proposed 2-day conference. Dr Jitendra Singh said that Northeast has the potential to be developed as a hub of organic farming and this is possible only when the enormous available resources are sought to be channelised in a scientific and systematic manner. Promotion of organic products, with Sikkim as the nodal State, will not only help in generating revenue and employment opportunities but will also be a great booster for the Government of India’s “Act East Policy”.
Referring to some of the other major projects in Sikkim, Dr Jitendra referred to the Greenfield Airport at Pakyong which is expected to be complete and become functional by 2017 and will emerge as one of the most beautiful destinations in the region.
In addition, he said, there is also a plan to connect Sikkim with the country’s rail network and after the present government took over under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this will be the third North-Eastern State after Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh to be brought on the rail map of India. Dr Jitendra also referred to the plan for constructing alternative road highway to Gangtok in Sikkim via West Bengal and two ropeways which will serve the purpose of both tourism as well as transport.