Thiruvananthapuram: The Government would set up one model coconut farm in every panchayat, Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran told the Assembly on Monday.

Each model coconut farm would have a group of 50 farmers and Agriculture Officers would be entrusted with the responsibility of running of the farm, the Minister told the Assembly in reply to questions.

As part of the initiatives to encourage organic farming in the State, 100 `organic villages' would be set up. Agriculture adalats would be organised in all Krishi Bhavans to address the problems faced by farmers.

`Haritasree' programme is being worked out by the department to promote vegetable cultivation and to make the State self-sufficient in vegetables. Already, Idukki, Wayanad and Palakkad had been declared as "vegetable districts" and the programme would begin on April 14, he said.

A toll-free helpline had been set up in the office of the Agriculture Minister for farmers to raise their problems. A special officer had been appointed to recommend steps to strengthen seed farm projects. A committee is looking into the apprehensions of the farmers on the Seed Bill and the State Government would forward the committee's report to the Centre.

The Paddy Board would start functioning this year itself, the Minister said. The State Government was of the view that the Union Government should announce support price to coconut instead of copra.

Farm loans

In a written reply to another question, the Agriculture Minister said the Government had decided to write-off the agricultural loans of farmers who committed suicide between January 1, 1999 and July 31, 2006. The Scheduled and Regional Rural Banks would write-off the loans up to Rs.1 lakh taken by farmers. As per this, the Minister said, an amount of Rs.1,55, 96,064 would be written off by the banks.

Housing policy

As many as 8.26 lakh families in the State did not have houses, the Minister for Forests and Housing, Benoy Viswom said. In a written reply, he said the Government proposed to provide houses to all by 2010. A task force had been set up to formulate the housing policy, he said.

He said the Government would seek the support of Kudumbasree units, youth organisations and all others to ensure the success of the tree-planting drive being taken up along the national highways with the help of headload workers. The Rs.61.65-lakh project would be completed within four years. Medicinal and ornamental plants would be planted. Acacia plants were avoided from the social forestry project.

Pension revision

Minister for Finance T.M. Thomas Isaac said the revision and re-fixation of pension would be completed within nine months.

In a written reply to the State Assembly, the Minister said the cases which had negligible differences would be avoided. The aim was to complete the process within three to four months.

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