Southern States - Karnataka-Bangalore   

Horticulture Dept. to distribute 4 lakh coconut saplings

By Our Staff Reporter

Bangalore Nov. 14. The Horticulture Minister, M. Shivanna, today said his department, which was in possession of four lakh coconut saplings, would distribute two lakh saplings each to the beneficiaries of the Ashraya and the Ambedkar housing schemes, and farmers through the Vana Samvardhana Trust.

He told presspersons here that each beneficiary would be given two saplings. The trust launched by several mathadhipathis under the chairmanship of the Adichunchanagiri Math seer, which had an ambitious programme to plant five crore saplings, was ready to increase the number to ten crore.

He said the trust was meeting the expenditure on ensuring water and tree guards for the saplings. Zilla panchayat members and legislators would be involved in the distribution of saplings to the beneficiaries.

Mr. Shivanna said the officials had been directed to organise programmes and involve the local representatives to distribute the saplings to the beneficiaries. Damage had been done to the coconut palms hit by the mite menace because the chemical to fight the pest was injected into the stem instead of the root of the palms.

Around 4.2 crore of the eight crore coconut palms were affected by the menace all over the State. The Central Food Technological Research Institute, which was given Rs.11 lakh for conducting a feasibility study on extracting "neera" and preserving it had not yet submitted its report, he said.

The minister said that most of the 415 horticultural farms established all over the State as advised by the late M.H. Mari Gowda were incurring losses, as the full capacity had not been exploited. Many did not have even a fence. More than 25 of the farms had lands to the extent of over 1,000 acres, but large tracts were left uncultivated.

With a view to generating income, he said the Government would be requested to recruit gardeners to look after the farms and gardens owned by the department. While it required 5,500 gardeners, it had only 2,000. Many posts, including those of assistant director, were vacant for years and this was hampering work. If the Cabinet did not approve the recruitment proposal, the department may allow trained agriculturists to cultivate the vacant land on contract.

Mr. Shivanna said development of the farms was urgently needed, as people were asking for the land to be leased to them. Local legislators and others were making representations to use the land for construction of buildings for schools and colleges. He ruled out giving the land to anybody.

He planned to appoint an expert committee to suggest ways to optimally make use of the farms, he added.

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