Karnataka plans agriculture think tank

Chief minister N Dharam Singh on Sunday announced that steps would be taken to set up a think tank to improve the agriculture sector in Karnataka.

Participating in the valedictory of the 17th Krishi Mela held at the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Dharwad, he promised financial assistance to UAS to the tune of Rs 15 crore for implementing several projects.

The chief minister?s announcement came following an appeal by the vice chancellor S A Patil and ministers K Shrinivas Gowda and H K Patil.

Dharam Singh hailed the achievements of the UAS, Dharwad and assured of all assistance from the government.

Dharam Singh listed the steps taken by the coalition government to solve the problems faced by agriculturists and said providing loan to farmers at six per cent interest rate was first of its kind in the country.

He said his government had doubled enhanced the budgetary allocation to agriculture this year to Rs 857 crore from last year's Rs 412 crore.

Claiming that his was the result oriented government, Dharam Singh promised all encouragement for development activities.

Deputy chief minister M P Prakash urged the chief minister to set up a dairy college at Bellary district. Hailing the role of agriculture in economic development, he regretted that agriculture was being neglected with the onslaught of IT and BT.

Law Minister H K Patil recalling the development of Dharwad agriculture college into a university, said it was not sufficient if the college and the staff prospered but the benefit should reach to farmers of the region.

He urged the government to construct a farmers' hostel in the varsity campus.

Best farmer and farmwoman awardees were felicitated at the function.

The four-day Krishi Mela attracted over 1.75 lakh people from districts of north Karnataka.

Over 400 stalls had been set upat the Krishi Mela showcasing various modern farm equipment and tools besides varieties of seeds and breeds, animals, flowers and horticulture products.