Dehradun. State Agriculture Minister Ganesh Joshi, during his visit to New Delhi on Wednesday, highlighted the issue of crop damage caused by wildlife in the state during his meeting with Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. He also requested the inclusion of the proposed Gherbari Yojana (Farm Fence) within the National Agricultural Development Scheme to address this problem, providing a budget of 200 crore rupees annually. He also requested the release of the second installment of the PM-RKVY scheme in 2025-26.
Agriculture Minister Joshi also requested the Union Minister to increase the current approved grant amount of 1.30 lakh rupees per house under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin) to 2 lakh rupees per house, equivalent to the PM-Janman Yojana. He also demanded an extension of the deadline for completing the remaining works of PMGSY-1 to March 2026 and an additional one-year extension for the completion of PMGSY-3 works.
The issue of increasing daily wages for workers was also raised.
He also raised the issue of increasing the daily wages of unskilled workers under MNREGA. He said that the wage rate needs to be revised in line with current market rates to ensure proper protection of workers’ interests. Giving information about the extensive damage caused to agricultural land and departmental assets in the state due to the disaster, Agriculture Minister Joshi also requested the release of funds separate from the SDRF-NDRF norms to compensate for the actual losses of ₹37.53 crore.
According to Joshi, the Union Agriculture Minister said that the losses caused by the disaster will be compensated through various schemes. The second installment of the PM-RKVY scheme will be approved soon. Union Minister Chauhan showed a positive attitude and assured quick action on all the issues.
