POKHARA, JUNE 29

At the initiative of Gandaki Province government, a land plotting (chaklabandi) campaign is being launched in different districts of the province.

On the occasion of National Paddy Day today, Chief Minister Prithivi Subba Gurung rode a farm tractor to inaugurate paddy plantation in a plotted land area in Gothing of Putalibazar Municipality, Syangja.

According to Agriculture Ministry’s Secretary Achyut Prasad Dhakal, so far 2,070 ropani land has been plotted in the province. “After 270 ropani was plotted last fiscal, an additional 1,800 ropani land was plotted this fiscal,” he said. “While the government has spent Rs 26.5 million on plotting so far, we’re planning to plot 3,000 ropani additional land in the upcoming fiscal, for which Rs 80 million has been earmarked,” he added.

The plotting is said to have already started producing results, according to the CM, and production has increased by up to 60 per cent in the plotted land in Kaski.

“We can’t afford to till the land in the traditional way.

To increase production, there is no option but to use machines such as tractors,” the CM said, adding that the sole motive of plotting is to boost production to make the province self-reliant in agriculture.

Putali Bazaar Municipality Ward 4 Chairperson Om Khadka said land plotting was done by forming a farmers’ group in Gothing. Some 310 ropani land belonging to 124 farmers was plotted in Gothing.

The farmers came forward expressing their willingness to allow land plotting after the government brought a policy of providing grant to farmers interested in plotting.

“Some Rs 5.9 million was spent so far on land plotting in our ward. Facilities such as latrines, grain stores and the likes are also being constructed,” said Khadka.

A version of this article appears in e-paper on June 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.