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Tourism pill for agriculture
Dehradun, December 2 Tourists and pilgrims on a vacation or pilgrimage to Uttarakhand will now find billboards proclaiming the major local resource of that area as part of the new initiative to link local organic resources with tourism to provide better returns to small woman farmers. Bharpur Patti in Tehri Garhwal district has been renamed “Pulses valley ” by the agriculture minister Trivendra Singh Rawat. Bharpur Patti, known as the hill desert owing to paucity of water in the area, has been a pioneer in growing pulses. Here, woman farmers grow pulses without any chemicals in abundance on small sloping fields. The area with 14 villages produces 30 to 40 tonnes of urad, masoor, gait, kulth and soyabean. Similarly, the government proposes to develop “Ginger valley”, “Vegetable valley” and “Apricot valley”. Visitors will now be able to procure organic local produce from retail outlets being opened by local woman entrepreneurs. This entire exercise to improve marketing of local resources by connecting it with tourism is being undertaken by the agriculture ministry. Under this initiative, championed by the agriculture minister, the woman farmers in the valley will get better seeds for pulses, Zero Chambers - a storage facility made of local material to store produce for longer periods, equipment to grade produce, packaging equipment and above all three sale points between Beasi to Devprayag, all along the road on the banks of the Ganga. “We have so much potential but the real profit is earned by middlemen who purchase the local organic produce at throwaway prices,” Trivendra Singh Rawat said. The state government plans to start a similar experiment in the nearby Agrakhal valley on the Rishikesh-Uttarkashi route.The valley known for producing ginger will be renamed “Ginger valley”. Rawat has been in the forefront in opposing allotment of agricultural land to industrial houses. “We want to protect our agriculture for which we have planned special agriculture zones in Uttarakhand,” he said. The state government is also keen on providing interest-free loans to farmers. “ We are for giving interest-free loans to farmers, particularly women,” said the minister. Special concessions like electricity, water supply and seeds on cheap rates will be provided to the farmers. Additionally, toll-free call centres for farmers will be set up in various parts of the state. There had been an alarming rise in agriculture land being given for industrial and SEZ purposes. The latest figures show that the land use pattern of nearly 24,000 hectares of farmland has been changed during the past seven years. The proposed agriculture policy has decided not to allow special economic zones (SEZs) and other industrial projects on agricultural land. The state cabinet is to approve the draft policy shortly. Rawat said nearly 3,12,000 hectare of non-agriculture and 383,000 of non-cultivated agriculture land is available in the hill state for industrialisation. “Besides protecting the agriculture land, it will ultimately lead to food security for the people of the state,” he added with an air of conviction.
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Pauper to paper tale
Dehradun, December 1 Carry bags, photo-frames, diaries, office files and stationery items are some handmade products which are attracting crowds. “We started this business for spreading awareness regarding the use of eco-friendly paper in Uttarakhand as well as to help the women in Haridwar slums,” said Jitendra Singh, marketing head of the handmade paper business. The mission is also actively involved in running a leprosy and education centre for children. Twelve years ago, Aashish Gautam, founder of the mission, a lawyer by profession, decided to espouse the cause of victims of leprosy. “It was on January 12, 1997, when in a hut Aashish Gautam laid the foundation of Divya Prem Seva Mission at Chandighat in Haridwar. Since then, the mission has been working for the cause of leprosy victims,” said Jitendra Singh. Initially, the mission started by providing medical facilities to the lepers. Later, it expanded and started catering to the needs of the children of lepers. “In 1998, Gautam realised that children of parents suffering with leprosy are healthy as most parents do not pass on the disease and, therefore, decided to embrace children with all love and care. “Starting with 15 children, today we have 250,” said Jitendra Singh. Children from 12 states are looked after by the mission. From education, lodging and food, these children are provided a home away from home. The mission is run by a trust and from time to time, the trust members update basic amenities for students. “I am very happy here and this mission is my family,” said Manohar Kumar, a Class XII student of the school run by the mission. With two doctors and staff members of the medical centre, the mission looks after lepers from various ashrams in Haridwar. “Everyday 70-80 lepers come to our mission for dressing,” said Jitendra Singh. Slums near Ganga Ghat in Haridwar are prone to various social ills leading to a decline in women empowerment. "The condition of the women in slums is terrible as they are poor and their husbands full of vices,” said Jitendra Singh. This encouraged Gautam to do something for the upliftment of women. Last year with a help of a designer, he started employing women in handmade paper business. At present 25 women under the guidance of this designer earn Rs 80 per day. “ The response top paper business in Dehradun has been positive and as far as future plans are concerned, we want to employ a large number of women and children for a secure and better future,” said a committed Jitendra Singh.
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Rock sound
Dehradun, December 1 Armed with tools, he transformed plain pillars and main entrances into pieces of art, at times carving images of gods and goddesses and at other times decorating houses with flowers and leaves. These houses called Tiwaris and Kholis are specimen of flawless craftsmanship, that is slowly receding into oblivion with concrete and cement structures invading the hills. Craftsmen like him are getting redundant. A resident of Chilka village in Chamoli, Asha Lal was awarded Gadh Vibhoti Samman by the Akhil Garhwal Sabha on the concluding day of the Uttarakhand Mahotsav today. Though happy to get recognition, 67-year-old Asha Lal is a worried man. “People in the hills no longer approach me for decorating Tiwaris and Kholis, as wood and mud-based two-storey houses are no longer being built. The craftsmen too have taken to other occupation. Nobody has the time and patience to commission us,” he says despondently. According to an estimate, with the passage of time only 20 houses of the kind are left in Chamoli district. “Nobody values these houses. Craftsmen like me have been rendered jobless with concrete buildings making inroads into the hills. “There is a specimen still in tact at Badiyargarh in Tehri district and another house at Joshimath owned by Dhoom Singh Pal,” said Asha Lal. Called Sadar Dwar (or the main entrance), the Kholi that was a single structure usually contained statues of gods, especially images of Ganesh and Vishnu. “Actually, it helped me to carve statues on rock. I had to do something to earn a living. Now my tools are back into action, this time sculpting rocks,” said Asha Lal. Happy with the recognition that he received today, Asha Lal wants to hold a workshop for craftsmen so that they remain connected with their roots.
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With special focus on hill agriculture, the draft agriculture policy proposes to link religious tourism with these special agriculture zones. 
