Chandigarh, May 6 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Wednesday asked government officials to ensure adequate food storage space across the state to prevent any damage to foodgrains.
He directed the concerned departments to prepare a detailed action plan to construct a silo between Shahabad and Ambala and find a permanent solution to the issue of grain storage at the earliest.
Saini chaired a meeting with officers of various departments at the Haryana Civil Secretariat to review the situation of grain storage across the state and water supply arrangements in the Palwal and Nuh regions, an official statement said.
Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shyam Singh Rana also attended the meeting.
The chief minister directed officers
to identify a location between Shahabad and Ambala for constructing a silo (large warehouse) situated between a railway line and a road.
This would ensure cost-effective connectivity of the silo with the rest of the country, he said.
Up to 100 acres of land should be acquired between the railway line and road as required, the chief minister said, while directing officers to complete the planning process for land acquisition and silo construction within one month.
The chief minister said that due to the ongoing situation in the Middle East, there is a significant demand for fruits and vegetables in that region.
He directed the Warehousing Corporation to prepare a plan for setting up a silo or a large warehouse near Hisar Airport for safe storage of fruits and vegetables.
These could then be supplied to the Middle East via Hisar Airport, enabling farmers to get better prices for their produce, Saini said.
Officials of the Public Health Department informed during the meeting that drinking water is currently being supplied through tubewells in 108 villages of Palwal and Nuh, as well as in Punhana town.
To maintain groundwater levels, the department plans to install seven rainy wells and boosting stations at an estimated cost of Rs 765 crore, he said.
The chief minister said that a plan should be prepared to provide canal-based water supply in areas currently dependent on tubewells.
With the development of new industrial zones in Nuh and Palwal, the demand for water will increase significantly, Saini said.
Keeping in view the upcoming monsoon season, the chief minister directed that large-scale plantation drives be carried out across the state.
Under the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, tree plantation should begin immediately to increase green cover in the state, he said and added that tree guards be installed to protect saplings and ensure timely watering so that they grow properly. PTI SUN HVA
