Agartala, June 26: Tripura Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha on Friday announced that the state government has successfully achieved its target of doubling farmers’ income, with the average monthly earnings of farmers increasing from around ₹6,000 in the 2015-16 baseline year to over ₹13,000.
Addressing the ‘Khet Bachao Abhiyan’ programme at Berimura Higher Secondary School Hall in Bamutia under West Tripura district, the Chief Minister said the milestone reflects the government’s sustained efforts to strengthen the agriculture sector while ensuring the protection of cultivable land.
“We had set a target of doubling farmers’ income, and we have achieved it. If you take the baseline year of 2015-16, the income of farmers was around ₹6,000. Now it has crossed ₹13,000,” Dr. Saha said while speaking to reporters.
Highlighting the importance of preserving agricultural land, Dr. Saha asserted that the government would not permit indiscriminate conversion of fertile farmland for non-agricultural purposes. He stressed that industrial development must progress alongside the protection of cultivable land.
“We do not want agricultural land to be diverted for other uses. At the same time, ease of doing business is also important. We are trying to strike a balance between industrial development and the protection of agricultural land,” he said.
The Chief Minister suggested that industries should preferably be established on unused land within designated industrial zones instead of fertile agricultural areas. He added that all such proposals would be carefully scrutinised to ensure that farmers’ interests remain protected.
Referring to the nationwide Khet Bachao Abhiyan, Dr. Saha said the campaign highlights the Centre’s concern over the shrinking availability of cultivable land and declining soil fertility caused by excessive use of chemical fertilisers such as urea and DAP over the years. He said maintaining soil health is essential for sustainable agriculture and long-term food security.
Dr. Saha noted that the campaign was launched by Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Madhya Pradesh under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with active participation from the Ministry of Agriculture, ICAR, agricultural scientists and farmers across the country.
Local CPI(M) MLA Nayan Sarkar, senior officials of ICAR and the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department, along with a large number of farmers, attended the programme.
