State Mechanized Farm on the verge of extinction
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Annie Thounaojam

Imphal, May 06 2014: The State Mechanized Farm located at Lamphelpat is now on the verge of extinction with the State Government handing out vast area of the farm to various departments and agencies over the last many years.

The mechanized farm is generally considered as the "heart" of the Agriculture Department, but the conduct of the State Government has marred all important agriculture-related activities thereby affecting the State's farmers and their agricultural produce.

In the early period of its existence, the State Mechanized Farm had a total area of 561 acres.

But, the State Government at that time handed out five acres of its land to Tribal Development Department, another five acres to Minor Irrigation Department and two acres each to the Telecom Department and Bio-fertilizers Plant.

Later, two large tracts of Mechanized Farm's land measuring 120 acres and 95 acres were handed out to the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) and Manipur Housing Corporation respectively by the State Government.

State Mechanized Farm on the verge of extinction

In the following years, another 38 acres of the State Mechanized Farm was handed out to Public Health Engineering Department for its Sewerage Plant.

Recently, the State Cabinet also resolved to lease out 40 acres of the Mechanized Farm to ICAR for a period of 20 years.

Notably, the present site of the ICAR was also taken from the State Mechanized Farm.

With all these large tracts of land given away to various departments and agencies by the State Government, the State Mechanized Farm is now left with just 171 acres.

All important agriculture-related activities of the farm have ceased thereby affecting the State's agricultural sector.

It may be recalled here that the then State Agriculture Minister Kangujam Ranjit spent several nights amidst pests and insects at the Mechanized Farm in order to drive out the land encroachers.

The hard-earned land of the State Mechanized Farm is now being thrown away without any consideration from the State Government for its proper development.

As for the development of agricultural sector in the State, crores of rupees sanctioned by the Central Government for various agricultural schemes and programmes have not been utilized properly resulting in poor performance of the agricultural sector.

Further, a reliable source informed that the Irrigation and Flood Control Department (IFCD) is trying to take over 40 acres from the remaining 171 acres of the State Mechanized Farm.

The farmers and agricultural experts of the State are now really concerned over the pathetic condition of the Mechanized Farm, and they have drawn the attention of the State Government to develop the State's agricultural sector and prevent the Mechanized Farm from further degradation.