Sikkim babu picks up the plough

Gangtok: At a time bureaucrats are limited to making policy decisions and scanning files, a district collector in West Sikkim has set an example by ploughing the fields to encourage villagers to take up agriculture as a self-employment option.

Dr A B Karki, the district collector of Sikkim’s West district, has urged all district officials and staff to go to the fields and work to encourage local youths in farming. On Sunday, Karki led the team of officials and staff in ploughing the fields and planted seasonal vegetables and fruits in a fallow piece of government land. He said the aim was to engage everyone in farming and use all barren and fallow government land for farming. It is also to inspire younger generation in farming and make them understand that it is a sustainable and lucrative profession.

“Organic farming should be adopted as a culture and a way of life. We should bring fallow and barren lands under cultivation as such practices will accelerate the growth of agricultural productivity in the state and make Sikkim self-reliant. Farming must be practised in an extensive way so that benefits of the farming reach the larger section of society,” said Karki.

The Sikkim government has banned import of vegetables from outside the state.