In a major step towards making Uttar Pradesh self-sufficient in seed production, the Yogi Adityanath government has approved the establishment of five state-of-the-art seed parks across the state.
UP CM Yogi Adityanath (File Photo)
In a major step towards making Uttar Pradesh self-sufficient in seed production, the Yogi Adityanath government has approved the establishment of five state-of-the-art seed parks across the state.
To be developed in phases across five agro-climatic zones, these parks will be named after former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh as a tribute to his contributions to Indian agriculture.
Advertisement
The first seed park will come up on 130.63 acres of land at the State Agricultural Area in Attari, Lucknow district, with an estimated investment of Rs 266.70 crore. Equipped with cutting-edge facilities for seed production, processing, storage, speed breeding, and hybrid research, these parks are set to revolutionize the seed sector in Uttar Pradesh.
Advertisement
This proposal and four others were approved in the cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, here on Thursday. State Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi informed that private investment in these parks will be incentivized through various concessions.
He added that land will be leased for seed businesses for 30 years, extendable up to 90 years. The project is expected to generate direct employment for approximately 6,000 people and indirect employment for another 15,000. Additionally, around 40,000 seed-producing farmers will be directly linked with the parks.
Shahi highlighted that Uttar Pradesh, the largest agricultural state with 162 lakh hectares of cultivable land, requires approximately 139.43 lakh quintals of seed annually. Currently, the state depends on other states to meet this demand. The seed parks will eliminate this dependency and ensure the availability of high-quality seeds at affordable rates locally.
Improved Seed Replacement Rate (SRR) will boost crop productivity and significantly enhance farmers’ income. Moreover, UP will be positioned to export seeds to other states, establishing itself as a hub of quality seed production.
Revised remuneration for contractual employees of Directorate General of Civil Aviation
Meanwhile, in a significant move benefiting contractual employees of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the UP government has approved a proposal to revise their remuneration. This decision impacts technical and non-technical staff working on key positions such as pilot, co-pilot, aviation engineer, quality manager, additional director (technical), operations manager, and flight safety chief.
State Finance Minister Suresh Khanna stated that the revised pay scales address long-pending demands, especially after the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, from which these employees were excluded. The pilot salary slab has been increased from Rs 2.5–7 lakh to Rs 5–10 lakh, while the co-pilot slab has been revised from Rs 1.25–6 lakh to Rs 3–7 lakh. Current pilot salaries will also see a 10% hike. This revision will entail an additional expenditure of Rs 5.27 crore for the state exchequer.
Besides, to enhance rural amenities for hosting community events and celebrations, the state Cabinet has approved the construction of marriage and event halls—’Panchayat Utsav Bhawan’—in each rural assembly constituency. In the first phase, 71 such halls will be constructed with a total allocation of Rs 100 crore.
Each Utsav Bhawan will be built at an estimated cost of Rs 1.41 crore, with 60% of the funding contributed by donors and the remaining 40% provided by the state under the Uttar Pradesh Matri Bhoomi Yojana. A seven-member committee headed by the District Magistrate will identify the land for these halls.
Advertisement
