Uttar Pradesh State PCS

• 02 Jan 2023

Agriculture Survey Will be Done in Uttar Pradesh on the Lines of Karnataka

Why In News?

• On January 1, 2023, Uttar Pradesh's Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi told that now agriculture survey will be done in the state on the lines of Karnataka. Till now, based on estimates in the state, the data related to the area of Rabi, Kharif and Zaid cultivation, production and loss due to natural calamity was collected.

Key Points

• Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi said that if all goes well, then after one year it will be clear that which farmer of which district has how much farming. In rabi, kharif and Zaid, in how much area did he sow and how much. How much was produced. All these will now get accurate statistics. They will also be digitized.
• It is known that till now the agriculture and revenue department collects data on the agriculture and agriculture of the state based on estimates at the district level.
• He said that preparations are being made for satellite mapping in the agricultural sector in the state. The satellite will provide accurate information about the size of farmers' fields, sowing of crops, production, etc. in every village district-wise, block-wise. Accordingly, necessary fertilizers, chemicals etc. will be made available to the farmers and advisories will be given about the selection of crops.
• He said that till now all the details of agriculture in the state are compiled on the assessment of estimates. It is not clearly known in which farmer sowed which crop in how much area. Even during disasters like excessive rains, floods, frosts, fire incidents, there is a lot of difficulty in gathering accurate information.
• It is worth mentioning that recently, officials of the Agriculture and Revenue Department of Karnataka presented the model of satellite survey implemented in their state in Uttar Pradesh. Other senior officials of the department, including the Agriculture Minister, also liked this model. It was approved and now preparations are being made to operate it in Uttar Pradesh.

Rs 200 crores Approved for Country's First Ropeway Transport in Varanasi

Why In News?

• On January 1, 2023, Kaushal Raj Sharma, Divisional Commissioner of Banaras, Uttar Pradesh, said that tourists coming from all over the world in Banaras will now get the facility of ropeway for the journey from the crowded cantt station to Godaulia, for which a budget of Rs 200 crore has been approved to implement the country's first public transport ropeway on the ground.

Key Points

• Divisional Commissioner Kaushal Raj Sharma said that the first installment of the budget will be released in the first week of January to shift the line of public amenities passing through the roadside between Varanasi Cantt and Godaulia in the state.
• After January 15, preparations are being made to shift the line of public facilities. The process of acquisition of identified land for the route will also start in the month of January itself.
• He said that a proposal of Rs 173 crore has been sent by the administration for land acquisition and Rs 28 crore for shifting the line of public amenities. The government has also taken the initiative to release the first installment by approving this budget proposal. After the release of the budget, the work of shifting the water, electricity and other lines passing under the road between Cantt and Godaulia will be started.
• The Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) survey has identified the construction of Jal Kal, Smart City, GAIL, Jal Nigam, BSNL and Power Department. Apart from this, 1.59 hectares of land has been identified for acquisition for the construction of a 3.75 km ropeway from Cantt railway station to Godaulia intersection, out of which 0.96 hectare is private and 0.63 hectare is government. On the basis of compensation fixed at the circuit rate, Rs 72 crore will be spent on private land and Rs 101 crore on government land.
• Stations and 30 towers are to be built at Cantonment, Bharat Mata Temple, Besant Theosophical Society Rath Yatra, Church and Godaulia intersection. He informed that under the ropeway project, the ropeway work will start in the state in March.