18 Oct : Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister, today launched ‘Bhed Palak Samridhi Yojna’, from Palampur, in district Kangra in the presence of hundreds of members of Gaddi (Shephard) community clad in traditional costumes and hailing from different parts of community dominated areas, by distributing sanction letters to the beneficiaries of the community.
Addressing the ‘Thanks Giving Function’ organised by Himachal Gaddi Union Chief Minister said that the State Government was providing Rs. 55 per kg. support price for procurement of the wool against the market rate of Rs. 27 per kg. He appealed to the Gaddi community to produce best quality wool to procure remunerative prices in textile industry. He underlined the need for diversified and quality improvement in the traditional avocation so that remunerative prices for the same were ensured. He said that Holi-Uttrala motorable tunnel was on priority agenda of the state government and would be constructed to connect Kangra and Chamba districts. He sanctioned Rs. 5 lakh for construction of Sarai at Uttrala to facilitate the community.
Prof. Dhumal said that Himachal Pradesh happened to be a rural based state where 91 percent of population inhabited in villages. He said that the state government was endeavouring to create best infrastructure of basic amenities at in the villagers so that rural migration to urban and semi-urban areas was checked. He said that various schemes had been envisioned for rural development and rural youth should take benefit of the same to find employment and self employment avenues for themselves in villages itself. He said that there was hardly any section of the society which had not been benefitted due to various schemes launched by the state government during past 33 months. He reiterated the resolve of the state government to protect interests of the community in all respects.
Chief Minister said that the ambitious scheme ‘
Bhed Palak Samridhi Yojna’ would be benefitting the community with liberal financial assistance ranging between Rs. 1.00 lakh to Rs. 25 lakh. He said that a soft loan of Rs. 1.00 lakh would be available to the shephards to purchase best species of 40 sheep and two rams and avail a subsidy of Rs. 33,300; a loan of upto Rs. 2.25 lakh would be available to the rabbit rearer wherein 33.33 percent subsidy would be available to them, subject to a limit of Rs. 75 thousand, while a loan of Rs. 25 lakh would be available under the scheme to the Sheep and Goat Breeding Units, wherein subsidy component would be upto Rs. 8.33 lakh. He said that entrepreneurs would be required to deposit a margin money of 10 percent only in the case of sheep and rabbit rearers and 25 percent in the case of breeding farmers. Prof. Dhumal said that it was being feared that the traditional avocation by different communities were being abandoned which was alarming situation for the state and country. He said that it was the endeavour of the state government to revive all such traditional avocations and strengthen rural economy to retain rural youth in their villages. He said that Rs. 353 crore Pandit Deen Dayal Kisaan Baagwan Samridhi Yojna had been launched to strengthen the farming economy with diversified farming under controlled climatic conditions. He said that subsidy upto 80 percent was available for general category and upto 90 percent for BPL families for constructing bamboo based poly houses.
Chief Minister said that organic farm and animal husbandry products were getting scarcer thereby putting life and health of future generation in peril. He said that the State Government had introduced Rs. 300 crore Doodh Ganga scheme to give boost to dairy farming in the state. He said that half of the loan amount was free from interest and 25 percent subsidy was also available to general categories of beneficiaries and 33 percent to the scheduled caste beneficiaries. He appealed to the people to take benefit of all such schemes to strengthen their economy. He said that the state government would repeat organisation of health camps during current season as well for sheep and also provide one tarpaulin to the gaddies.
CM also released the souvenir brought out by the orgnisers to mark the launching of the scheme and also listened to the public grievances after the public meeting.
Shri Tulsi Ram Sharma, Speaker, HP Vidhan Sabha, thanked Chief Minister on behalf of the community for innovative welfare scheme for Gaddi community which would motivate the young generation to adopt their traditional avocation of sheep and goat rearing. He said that the faulty schemes of previous governments had forced many Gaddies to give up their traditional profession and go for menial jobs. He exhorted that the community must come forward and benefit from the scheme but not to be dependant upon the government for all times to come.
Shri Kishan Kapoor, Industries Minister, said that Gaddi Community was grateful towards Prof. Dhumal for getting it bestowed with scheduled tribal status. He said that the scheme launched today would ensure that the community was not forced to give up its traditional avocation of sheep and goat rearing. He said that not only easy and cheap loans would be available but 33 percent subsidy would also be available to the beneficiaries. He also thanked for taking some rural areas out of the purview of the Town and Country Planning jurisdiction.
Dr. Rajan Sushant, MP Lok Sabha, said that 18th October would be remembered as a red letter day for Gaddi community when Bhed Palak Samridhi Yojna was launched. He said that Prof. Dhumal had emerged as a strong leader by winning three out of four parliamentary seats in favour of BJP when many of the states were won by non-BJP parties. He said that Gaddi community had been given fair representation in the State Cabinet since Speaker, Vidhan Sabha, Industries Minister and Woolfed Chairman were members of Gaddi community. He also thanked Chief Minister for sanctioning 45 tubewell project of Rs. 25 crore for Fatehpur assembly segment. He congratulated CM for winning Agriculture Leadership Award for the State for the first time in history of the state.
Shri Trilok Kapoor, Chairman, Woolfed, welcomed and thanked the CM for the scheme he launched for economic empowerment of gaddi community. He thanked CM for getting sanctioned a Rs. 11 crore Shephard Scheme for the community in the State. He said that Prof. Dhumal happened to be the First Chief Minister in the country who had retained agriculture and animal husbandry portfolio with himself with a view to revive and strengthen both of the basic sectors. He said that constitution of Gaddi Welfare Board was one important initiative taken by the State Government for the welfare of the community.
Shri Gokal Thakur, President, State Gaddi Union, welcomed the Chief Minister and thanked him for launching an ambitious scheme for the socio-economic upliftment of the Gaddi community in the State.
A traditional variety cultural programme was presented to mark the launching of the Bhed Palak Samridhi Yojna.
Shri Ravinder Ravi, IPH Minister, Smt. Sarveen Chaudhary, Social Justice and Empowerment Minister, Capt. Atma Ram, Shri Vipan Parmar, Shri Rakesh Pathania, Smt. Renu Chadda, Shri Parveen Sharma, Shri Sanjay Chaudhary, MLAs, Shri Kripal Parmar, former MP and Vice President, State BJP, Chaudhary Vidya Sagar, Dr. Harbans Rana, Shri Mohan Lal, former Ministers, Shri Ram Chand Bhatia, former MLA, Shri Des Raj Baggi, Chairman, Zila Parishad, Shri Vikram Thakur, Vice Chairman, HP State Forest Corporation, Shri Rajeev Bhardwaj, Vice Chairman, HRTC, Shri R.S.Gupta, DC, Shri Diljeet Thakur, SP, Dr. B.S.Bist, Director of Animal Husbandry, other senior functionaries of different departments, prominent people of the district and office bearers of Gaddi Union were present on the occasion.