Ranchi, March 7: Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said that Jharkhand is a leader state in vegetable production. With the establishment of vegetable and fruit processing plant at Nagri, Jharkhand will be able to export fruits and vegetables to the world, he said.
�Around 70% people employed at this plant will be local people. It is first phase plant and it has been started in one year. The second phase plant will be started by November and local people and farmers will be benefitted with it. More such plants will be established in different districts of the state,� said the CM.
Das said that this is one of the largest plants in eastern India. He said development of peasants is linked with the development of the nation. �The effort of our government is to ensure the all round development of the state. As many as 23 to 24 lakh people still live below poverty line. The government is committed to create employment opportunities for such people, especially in the rural areas and stop migration.
Das said the government had formed a State Entrepreneur Board for bringing prosperity in Jharkhand. �As per the plan, 4.5 lakh women will be made entrepreneurs.
A training center will also be established to train people,� he said.
The CM said that people should use biological fertilizers and appealed to the farmers to adopt floriculture. If this is started by the people, the government may also consider setting up a plant for this purpose, he said.
The CM said the government has provisioned Rs. 700 crore for skill development of the people.
Also present on the occasion, Union Agriculture Minister for State and Welfare Sudarshan Bhagat said that the plant will benefit fruit and vegetable producer-farmers. He said that in the first phase, pea and jackfruit will be processed here and then other fruits and vegetables will be processed. He said that the present government is focusing on agriculture.
Speaking at the event, state cooperative minister Randhir Singh said the government is thinking about the development of farmers. He said that production of fruits and vegetables will get new dimension with this initiative. The government is promoting organic farming. This year, 50 lakh papaya plants are being prepared and other fruits like mango, guava, pulses, beans and other fruits are also promoted.
CS Raj Bala Verma said that Mother Dairy is ready to enter in vegetable production. She said that this is unit of NDDB and the farmers will get good price for their produce. She said that farmers should produce all sorts of fruits and vegetables.
The government has set up the plant for Rs. 82.77 crore with subsidy assistance from Jharkhand Industrial Policy. The government had allotted land to Mother Dairy Fruit and Vegetable Private Limited.
NDDB Chairperson Dilip Rath, Secretary to the CM Sunil Kumar Barnwal, Cooperative Secretary Nitin Kulkarni, Special Secretary Pooja Singhal, Horticulture Director Rajeev Kumar and many other dignitaries were present at the event.