Minister inaugurates solar dryer project and increases funding for self help groups

Nagpur: Minister of State Ashish Jaiswal on Saturday inaugurated a solar dryer project at Chargaon in Parshivni under the Integrated Sustainable Rural Development initiative. He also announced a sharp increase in direct funding to self-help groups, with Rs 30 crore to be distributed among 3,000 groups this year, compared to Rs 16 crore given to 1,600 groups last year.A solar dryer uses sunlight to remove moisture from agricultural produce, extending shelf life without refrigeration or fuel costs. "We are giving money through Ladki Bahin, and other govt schemes. But that money should go into capital investment — into projects that generate returns. One rupee must become two," he said."Physical infrastructure alone does not make a village prosperous. What is needed is a revolution in agriculture," he said. Pointing to the gap between farm-gate prices and processed food prices as the core problem, Jaiswal said: "We sell rice at one rate, but idli sells for far more. We produce wheat at one rate, but a roti at a hotel costs much more. We need to evaluate this and add value to what our farmers produce."Jaiswal announced that farm labourers would now be covered under the Gopinath Munde Shetkari Apghat scheme, entitling them to Rs 2 lakh in the event of accidental death or injury, and said he was working to raise the amount to Rs 5 lakh. He also said organic and natural farming would attract higher subsidies going forward, while chemical farming subsidies would be gradually reduced. Last year, he said, he moved a Rs 5 crore proposal through the DPDC exclusively for dhaincha supply to paddy farmers.On tourism, Jaiswal said a seven-bedroom houseboat and a floating restaurant were being launched at Banera, with a Poraasan Mahotsav scheduled from April 18 to 20. The event will feature tribal folk dances from Jharkhand and Odisha, singer Kailash Kher, and performances by Indian Idol celebrity Shanmukhapriya. He added that a seaplane survey connecting Nagpur airport to Navegaon Kheri had been completed and the service would be launched soon.Jaiswal said he was forming a CSR committee to channel corporate social responsibility funds into productive rural projects. "To build a prosperous Maharashtra, we must first build a prosperous rural Maharashtra," he said.