Irrigation via separate agri feeders by March 2019: Sushil

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi Friday said that power would be supplied for irrigation purpose through 1,312 dedicated agriculture feeders in the state by March 2019.

"After making power available to every households in all the villages and hamlets, the state government would supply power for irrigation purposes through 1,312 separate and dedicated agriculture feeders in the state by March 2019. The separate agri feeders would be laid out at an estimated cost of Rs 6,000 crore," Modi said.

He was addressing a seminar on "Pathways Towards Prosperity of Aspirational Districts in Bihar", organised by Bihar Institute of Economic Studies here.

Modi, who is also the finance minister, said that farmers would be benefited the most from separate agriculture feeders as dependence on diesel use for irrigating lands will reduce.

Farmers' irrigation cost would come down to Rs 200 per acre from Rs 1,500 per acre which they incur on diesel expense for irrigation, he added.

In February, the Modi had said that the Centre has released Rs 6,500 crore for laying separate feeders for agriculture sector for irrigation in Bihar.

Stating that Bihar is the third largest vegetable producing state in the country, he said that Primary Vegetable Cooperative Society has been formed in 83 blocks of Vaishali, Samastipur, Nalanda, Begusarai and Patna districts.

Vegetable farmers would now be promoted through vegetable cooperative societies similar to Sudha dairy cooperative society, he said adding that cooperative societies will help in storing vegetables in warehouses, cold storages and mini cold storages.