Ramachandran Kadannappally, Minister for Ports and Archaeology, said here on Friday that the Kannur District Panchayat had proved that natural and human resources were abundant in villages and if their potential was exploited, miracles could be achieved.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Vision 2025 Development Seminar of the District Panchayat here.
Mr. Kadannappally said that the District Panchayat was moving forward with modernisation by improving the technical, scientific and physical facilities. It was the long-term planning, activities and solidarity beyond party politics that enabled the District Panchayat to achieve this success.
In his keynote address, District Panchayat President K.V. Sumesh said that the panchayat had made an effort to utilise technology in development and governance and it was a success.
Agricultural villages
The idea of self-sufficient agricultural villages had led to great progress. Significant achievements were the introduction of schemes to cultivate crops according to the nature of the soil in each region and to achieve self-sufficiency in the production of various grains and vegetables in 43 panchayats.
The schemes implemented in collaboration with the grama panchayats to make fallow land cultivable were also effective. One of the major crises facing the agricultural sector was the shortage of labour. It was at that point that the reliance on mechanised farming began. The response was overwhelming. Another innovative concept was floriculture implemented in panchayats. There were groups in this field which had made a profit of ₹15 lakh, he said.