Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 24
The Department of Agriculture, Nagaland has undertaken construction of 81 rural road projects in the state under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF-XIX) Program financed by NABARD.
These projects are ongoing programmmes implemented by the department, according to an annual administrative report 2016-17 of the Agriculture Fepartment tabled on the floor of the House today by Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, YM Yolow.
The report stated that these rural road projects provide motorable road connectivity for agricultural productive areas with the major district roads or the village for further linkages with agricultural marketing outlets.
The rural roads serve the primary need in sustaining agrarian economy of the state to encourage an overall development with availability of better inputs for agricultural production.
During the last decade, there has been gradual increase in cash crop production in the state, mainly ginger, kholar, chilly, cardamom and vegetable crops with considerable marketing surplus and this is attributed partly due to the road communication with the agricultural hinterlands provided by agriculture department under Rural Infrastructure Development Programme, the report stated.
An amount of Rs. 38,31,20,000 is sanctioned against the 81 projects for RDF-XIX and so far overall 75% of the said work is completed. An amount of Rs. 2150 lakh has been reimbursed by NABARD including current financial year 2016-17, the report added.
