Ranchi, Nov. 25: Chief Secretary Raj Bala Verma today said that a soil testing campaign should be started from 1st December this year.
She directed the agriculture departmental officials to connect ARYA and ATMA members with the soil testing campaign and ensure collection, testing, registration and issuance of health card of soil. She gave the instructions during a review of the agriculture department.
Verma said that the Central Government was requested to establish small soil testing laboratories in every panchayat under which, five laboratories were allowed to be established in every block. For this purpose, the officials concerned have been directed to select blocks at the earliest for establishing the labs, she said.
The CS further directed the officials to make a work plan at the department level to purchase hand held device machines. The department officials have said that venues have been selected in 190 blocks for establishing soil testing labs.
During the review, the CS directed the officials to target 10 lakh hectare irrigated land to cover it with Rabi crop and ensure responsibility of the BLWs in respect to complete water resource mapping work on time and select the irrigated land. The department said that 8.24 lakh hectares of irrigated land has been identified.
It was also directed in the meeting to identify interested farmers or youths on block level for giving license of fertilizers/seeds, issue them license as wholesaler at block level and tag them with retailers. She also asked the officials to connect youths with the Stand-up India program for capital assistance.
Agriculture Secretary Nitin Madan Kulkarni and several other officials were present at the meeting.