U'khand minister wants Centre to implement SAZ

After not finding favours in his home state, Uttarakhand Agriculture Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has now decided to discuss the concept of Special Agriculture Zones (SAZs) with the Centre.

With the state government showing little enthusiasm to declare the new agriculture policy, Rawat has now decided to send a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh detailing about the benefits of SAZ, which was conceptualised to protect farmlands and achieving food security. The Uttarakhand agriculture and horticulture departments are implementing SAZ as a pilot project in three blocks —- Raipur in Dehra Dun district, Pokhra in Pauri and Kotabagh in Nainital.

Under the SAZ, the departments had proposed setting up of self-employment units (SEUs) like fisheries, tea gardens, dairy farming and various other agriculture and horticulture-related activities. SAZs are just like micro and small enterprises through which, the departments are trying to protect agriculture land and bring food security.

Despite claims made by Rawat that the SAZ would revolutionise the new agri-policy, Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank has not showed any interest in this regard. The SAZ does not allow any industrialisation on agriculture land. The policy is awaiting a cabinet clearance for the past three years.

Rawat had proposed the farmland should not be used for industrialisation and instead the government should utilise non-agriculture and non-cultivated agriculture land for this purpose. Nearly 312, 000 hectares of non-agriculture and 383, 000 hectares of non-cultivated agriculture land is available in the hill state.

The main highlight of the new policy is that the development of SAZs would help protect the fertile land through integrated farming. The government is also interested in providing interest-free loans to farmers instead of subsidy, through which the government wants to set up SAZs all over the state.

Special sops like electricity, water supply and seeds on cheap rates would be provided to farmers. In addition to this, toll-free call centres for farmers would also be set up across the state.