Shillong, May 21: The Meghalaya government has already fixed a minimum support price for broom grass cultivators to cushion them against price crashes, and no complaints have been received so far, Agriculture Minister Timothy D Shira said on Thursday.
“To help farmers and offset some of the losses they face due to low prices, the state government has already fixed a minimum support price for broom grass cultivators and farmers. I am not fully aware of the ground situation as no one has approached me to discuss any problems so far,” Shira told reporters.
When asked, he said, “We will review it when the time comes, if there are a lot of complaints from broom farmers. But as of now, the minimum support price is being given to broom farmers. No complaint has come to me. They have not raised any complaints with the chief minister either. Had there been complaints from farmers, the chief minister would have sent me instructions, but no such instructions have come.”
On the arecanut budrot disease, he said, “It has affected many districts of the state. Not the entire district, but specific regions within districts have been hit by budrot disease. For this, the government has set up a high-level committee. At the district level, the deputy commissioner is the chairman, and they are authorized to assess the extent of loss due to the arecanut disease, identify the worst-affected areas, and recommend measures to eradicate budrot.”
He added, “Even North Garo Hills, South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills, South West Garo Hills — the whole of Garo Hills — along with some parts of Ri Bhoi district, East Khasi Hills, the southern slopes bordering Bangladesh, and South West Khasi Hills have reported cases of budrot disease.”
On the ropeway project, the tourism minister said, “The Shillong Ropeway project is ongoing, but I have never visited the site. The project was awarded before I assumed charge, and I have not received any updates on it. So, I presume it is progressing well.”
“There are many new initiatives (under the tourism department),” he added. “We recently issued orders for the construction of guest houses at Siju. We have also taken up new projects in the Sohra area, and work is in process in Saitsohpen. Other projects include the development of Mawmluh cave.”
