In a move towards modernizing agricultural practices, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu unveiled the Himachal Pradesh budget for the fiscal year 2024-25, spotlighting the computerization of Primary Agriculture Cooperative Societies (PACS) as a pivotal initiative.
Addressing the assembly on Saturday, Sukhu reaffirmed his commitment to propel the state into a digital agricultural era.
The Chief Minister reiterated the continuation of efforts initiated in the previous budget towards the computerization of PACS, emphasizing the integration with Cooperative Banks, the Cooperative Department, and the National Database by the designated timeline of 2027. Additionally, Sukhu highlighted the ongoing online registration of all cooperative societies, underscoring the government’s proactive approach towards technological integration.
Welcoming the budget, HP State Cooperative Bank Chairman Devendra Shyam hailed it as a watershed moment for Himachal Pradesh’s development, envisioning a future characterized by cleanliness, sustainability, self-reliance, and global tourism prominence.
Reflecting on the budget’s implications, Kangra Cooperative Primary Agriculture and Rural Development Bank President Ram Chandra Pathania expressed confidence in its capacity to fortify agriculture, horticulture, animal husbandry, and rural economies, thereby alleviating the burdens on the common populace.
In a bid to augment farmers’ incomes, Chief Minister Sukhu announced the launch of the “Rajiv Gandhi Prakritik Kheti Start-up Yojana” as a component of the Rs 680 crore ‘Rajiv Gandhi Start-up Yojana’.
This initiative aims to promote self-employment in natural farming, leveraging chatbot and AI-based tools through web-enabled agriculture portals and mobile applications, facilitated by technical support from the Department of Digital Technologies and Governance and the Himachal Pradesh State Industrial Development Corporation (HPSIDC).
Furthermore, the budget outlined plans to establish a ‘Centre of Excellence for Vegetable Nursery Production’ to bolster vegetable cultivation by providing high-quality saplings and requisite training to farmers, with an annual capacity to supply 8 to 10 lakh saplings.
The Himachal Pradesh budget for 2024-25 emerges as a beacon of progressive governance, steering the state towards a digitally empowered and agriculturally sustainable future.