Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, March 04 2009:
Inderjit Kaur Borthakur, a member of the North Eastern Counci (NEC) has expressed dissatisfaction on seeing the empty fields of Manipur but was visibly delighted to see the fields filled with green and yellow mustard plants at Ethai village grown under the funding scheme of NEC.
IK Borthakur arrived in Imphal yesterday.
She visited the fields in Imphal west and Bishnupur districts where agriculture related schemes are being taken up with the funding of the NEC through the state agriculture department.
Earlier, on her arrival in Imphal yesterday, she called on the state Governor, Gurbhachan Jagat and also met the Principal Secretary (Agriculture), O Nabakishore, IAS at the Raj Bhavan, and held talks on agriculture-related schemes taken up in the state with the funding of the NEC.
Today, she conducted field inspection in Imphal west and Bishnupur district where the schemes funded by the NEC are implemented.
Her field visit was accompanied by Deputy Director (Planning), Shamu Kabui and Deputy Director (Soil Chemist), Ph Rajendro and other officials of the Department of Agriculture.
On seeing the empty fields on her way to Ethai village from Imphal, she expressed unhappiness and said she has not seen the fields left empty after the main crops had been harvested anywhere in other state except in Manipur.
But on reaching at Ethai, she was amused by the fields growing mustard plant expanding over 150 hectares.
Encouraging the farmers on successful cultivation of the oil seed even though there was no rain in this winter season, she said if the farmers give keen interest in the field, the area can be converted into a seed production centre.
Mention may be made that after getting a bumper harvest with the new rice variety IR-64 supply by the NEC under its sponsored scheme with the application of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) method of cultivation, the farmers of the Ethai are again marching ahead with another bumper harvest of mustard oil seed from the field expanding over 150 hectares.
Talking on various agricultures related schemes taken up by the NEC, she said under the North East Vision-2020 which was launched by the Prime Minister, the council is targeting to take up agriculture related schemes to 2,000 hectares of field across Manipur.
She also conveyed the farmers that, state Governor has also assured her that he will try at his best level to develop agriculture in the state.
Barthakur also held interaction with the women of the Nambol Chingmang where IR-64 was successfully harvested.
During the interaction she promised the women farmers that she would implement all what they wanted from her side.
She also visited fields at mustard fields at Maklang Maning Loukon in Imphal west.
Before commencing her field visit, she went to Koirengei Rangmei village where she used to stay in her early life and met the villagers and held interaction.
During talks with the villagers, she promised to help the villagers in taking up agriculture related schemes in their village.
Deputy director, Rajendro who took part in the visit said that the seed of M-27 mustard variety growing in the fields under his department's initiative will buy and stored for next season.