Bundelkhand will be a role model on organic farming: UP CM

Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said Bundelkhand will be made a role model on organic farming.

Directing officials to explore possibilities of organic agriculture and promotion of zero budget agriculture, he said that it will give a new identity to this region, which is no more considered as a drought-hit, backward area.

The chief minister was reviewing projects worth over Rs 50 crore and other development schemes of Chitrakoot division through video conferencing on Friday.

"Gone are the days when Chitrakoot and Banda districts of the division were dacoit infested. It's time now to turn Bundelkhand into a developmental hub," he said.

Adityanath said that Chitrakoot is one of six nodes of a Defence Corridor and it will be converted into a gateway of development in the near future because the under-construction Bundelkhand Expressway starts from here. While directing to fast-track developmental works in the region, he asked officials to complete the task of land acquisition for development projects at the earliest, an official statement said.

The CM said that only 50 hectare land acquisition is left for Defence Corridor which should be completed by October 2021.

He said every developmental work should be finished in a time-bound manner while maintaining quality norms. Adityanath directed officials to make an action plan to link Rajapur, the birth place of Goswami Tulsidas, and Lalapur, from where Maharshi Balmiki departed for heavenly abode. He said that the construction work of 300-bed divisional multi-discipline district hospital in Banda should be completed at the soonest. The Kulpahad Sprinkler Project under Bundelkhand package, a farmers welfare project, should also be completed latest by March 2021, he said.

Noting that the river cleaning and de-silting under MNREGS has brought in good results, he asked officials to prepare an extensive action plan for digging and revival of ponds through convergence under Atal Bhoojal Yojana. The CM said the there is a network of rivers and ponds in Bundelkhand which should be preserved and revived. He said that apart from developmental works, the Bundelkhand has immense tourism potential which needs to be explored fully.

The CM directed officials to upgrade district hospitals of Mahoba and Hamirpur using funds at the disposal of the district. If required, the government will provide additional funds, he said.

He also instructed them to set up a dedicated Covid hospital in Hamirpur.

The CM said though there are less cases of Covid in Bundelkhand, yet the medical protocol has to be followed.