The Hindu : Karnataka News : Arora recommends farm development committee

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 11, 2005

Karnataka

Karnataka

Arora recommends farm development committee

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, FEB. 10. The J.K. Arora Committee consisting of agricultural scientists, including former vice-chancellors, has suggested that a broad-based State-level agricultural development committee, headed by an Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, be appointed for faster development of agriculture and related activities.

Mr. Arora, a former Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner, has submitted a report in this regard to the Agriculture Minister, K. Srinivasa Gowda.

Mr. Arora said that unlike the present system, the State-level one should be an empowered committee with all powers and responsibilities relating to agriculture, including veterinary sciences. There is a need to change the mandate to agricultural scientists in view of the problems faced by farmers and to increase yield as well as quality.

He said the committee should consist of the Secretaries for Planning, Finance, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Irrigation, the vice-chancellors of all agricultural universities, the Sericulture Commissioner, the Director of the Drought Monitoring Cell, the Director of the Karnataka Remote Sensing Agency, the Karnataka Krishik Samaj president, the Chairman of the State-Level Bankers' Committee, an official of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development, the Principal Secretary for Agriculture, representatives of farmers and industry and experts from non-governmental organisations. The Minister said the universities have done research on 1,324 varieties of crops but have recommended only 79 per cent for application in agriculture and related fields. Out of this, beneficiary farmers could adopt only 70 per cent.

Mr. Arora said that hitherto research projects were promotion-oriented and not farmer-oriented.

There is a need to change this. Asked whether any scientist or university will be held responsible for the lack of focus, the Additional Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner (North Karnataka), Chiranjeev Singh, intervened to say that no research can be regarded as a waste.

A particular piece of research may not be useful immediately after the result come out, but can be of great use later, as in the case of Madam Curie, who discovered Radium.

Mr. Arora said there is a need for a law to maintain agricultural input quality and output quality and farmers should be told about pesticide residue in the vegetables.

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