7 new agriculture universities in Jharkhand by 2017: Raghubar Das

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das on Wednesday said seven agriculture universities will be opened in Jharkhand and buildings for them are nearing completion.

Addressing a meeting in Ranchi, Das asked to set up a management under the government to run the new universities at Garhwa, Godda, Dumka, Deogarh, Ranchi, Chaibasa and Gumla districts, an official release said.

He asked to initiate recruitment process through Jharkhand Public Service Commission and said by 2017, all universities would be functioning.

Expressing concern about a very large number of farmers not yet getting soil health cards, he directed to issue them phase-wise and select ten agriculturally most important districts to complete the task.

Das said he would monitor the distribution process every three months and Vice Chancellor of Birsa Agriculture University, George John, to promote traditional agriculture. Vice Chancellor along with the agriculture director will visit Sikkim and study organic farming.

Chief Secretary Raj Bala Verma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Sanjay Kumar and Principal Secretary of Agriculture department N M Kulkarni were among the officials who attended the meeting.