Dehradun: Union Minister of State Science and Technology Jitendra Singh on Monday in a meeting with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami urged him to promote agri-tech start-ups in the state to arrest the large-scale migration of youth. The Union Minister said that the geography and climatic conditions in Himalayan states like Uttarakhand favour the cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants and these can be developed into agri-tech and aromatic enterprises. During the meeting, Dhami proposed setting up new scientific institutions in the state and extending the services of the existing Indian Institute of Petroleum at Dehradun.
The Union Minister offered support for providing free quality planting material and end-to-end technology package for cultivation, processing, value addition and marketing of the Lavender crop to the farmers.
He said the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) will provide comprehensive handholding from product development to marketing to the willing youth and farmers. The Minister said as large numbers and area is under small and marginal holdings, appreciable economic outcomes can be achieved by pooling resources for Aroma mission. Further, Chief Minister Dhami discussed a wide range of state-related issues ranging from development to placement of All India Services officers with the Union Minister. He brought to the notice of Singh, who is also the Minister In-charge Department of Personnel and Training, some of the issues related to deputation and placement of IAS officers in Uttarakhand.—ANI