Rs 100 cr for horticulture: Collector

Eluru: West Godavari District Collector K Bhaskar directed the horticulture officials to chalk out a plan to develop horticulture crops in the district with an outlay of Rs 100 crore.

He presided over a review meeting on horticulture crops at the Collectorate here on Wednesday.Speaking on the occasion, the Collector said that West Godavari district stood in first place in cultivating horticulture crops in Coastal districts.

In view of this, the officials should prepare the plan for 2019-20. He reiterated that following the non-availability of land, the industrial establishment is low in the district and the district should adopt the new methods in agriculture and horticulture to achieve growth.

He directed the officials to publish a book on the targets fixed and distribute it to the horticulture officer, multipurpose agriculture extension officers to implement it. He said that he would not tolerate if they did not reach even 0.1 per cent of the target. He said that during the present year about two lakh hectares are under horticulture crops and out of which 2,000 hectares are targeted for plastic mulching.

He regretted that the officials did not reach the target of 2,000 hectares. He directed the officials concerned to suspend Eluru horticulture officer and four MPEOs for not reaching the target. He asked the horticulture officials to encourage the cocoa cultivation in horticulture crops.

He said that the government has allotted Rs 50 lakhs to construct rest houses to horticulture department. Horticulture deputy director Subba Rao, assistant directors Durgesh Balaji participated in the review meeting.