Agriculture Research Centre in PATNA

TAKING UP FARMERS' CAUSE: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Social Justice Minister Meira Kumar at the ICAR Research Complex in Patna on Monday.

PATNA: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on Monday announced that the Centre would provide subsidy to farmers to diversify into related sectors to avoid incidents of suicides and praised Railway Minister Lalu Prasad for his efforts to get remunerative returns for their produce.
Dedicating the newly constructed Research Complex for Eastern Region of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) in memory Babu Jagjivan Ram, Mr. Pawar said the major problem being faced by farmers in the country was a proper price for their produce and that was one of the reasons behind farmers committing suicide in some States.
Besides Mr. Prasad, the function was attended by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Union Minister for Social Justice Meira Kumar, daughter of Babu Jagjivan Ram.
Mr. Pawar said farmers who did not have a supplementary income were prone to taking to such extreme steps. He said the Centre was willing to help them diversify into dairy and aquaculture so that they had a second source of income. He said the Centre would provide 40 to 50 per cent subsidy to farmers willing to take up fishing as a second source of income.
Mr. Pawar was thankful to the Railway Minister for his proposal of purchasing agricultural produce at its 7,500 railway stations across the country and finding a market for the same.
He said the unique measure would not only give the farmers their rightful price but also give employment to the youth in a big way. He said Mr. Prasad would be remembered for taking on his shoulders the welfare of the farmers and the youth. The farmers would not be required to resort to distress sale.
He said the country owed its agricultural boom mostly to two personalities, Jagjivan Ram and C. Subramaniam.

Other prominent figures were present including

Dr Mangala Rai ( Director General , ICAR and Sec, Agriculre Research , Union govt )

Smt Radha Singh ( Sec , Agricluture , union govt and sister of Nand kishore Singh ex-IAS and daughter of Sr T P Singh , ICS . Her another Brother is also MP , Purnia Sri Uday Singh )

Akhilesh Prasad Singh ( State Minister , Agriculute , Union Govt )

Sri Narendra Singh ( Cabiner Minister , Agriculture , Bihar Govt)

Its all COMBINED Efforts of BIHARI on TOP to have this research centre in PATNA .

Thanks :)