Karnataka - Hassan   

50,000 farm ponds to be developed

Staff Correspondent

HASSAN: The Government has decided to develop over 50,000 krishi hondas (agriculture ponds) across the State at a cost of Rs. 50 crore, Agriculture Minister Bandeppa Kashempur has said.

He told presspersons at the Hassan Agriculture College on Friday that digging such ponds in the fields would help in recharging groundwater and farmers could make use of the water to cultivate the land round the year.

Approval given

He said approval had been given to dig 2,028 krishi hondas to help farmers with small land holdings in Hassan district at a cost of Rs. 8.98 lakh.

To a query on misuse of Rs. 28 lakh in the department of dry land development, he said a senior official in the department had been placed under suspension for misuse of funds and a departmental inquiry was on.

On getting the report, action would be initiated against those responsible, he added.

Agriculture policy, with stress on uplifting farming community, would be introduced shortly in the State, to address agrarian crisis and the Government would purchase their produce at a support prize.

It had also been decided to construct warehouses and cold storage plants in villages, he said.

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