Kathmandu. The Department of Water Resources and Irrigation under the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation has brought a special program for agricultural entrepreneurship. In this program, high priority has been given to the farmers of the youth who have returned from foreign employment.

The department has introduced a special underground water irrigation program for agricultural entrepreneurs. For this program, the department has prepared the Plan Selection Guideline, 2083.

Director General of the Department, Dinesh Rajauria, said that the directive has been formulated as per the Good Governance (Management and Operation) Act to increase agricultural production and productivity by sustainable use of groundwater resources, to provide reliable irrigation facilities to the agro entrepreneurs and farmers and to make the plan selection and program implementation transparent, objective and effective.

According to him, a person, firm, organization or group will be selected and included in the program through the selection of special underground water irrigation program and plan selection for agricultural entrepreneurs.

Who can participate in ?

Deputy Director General Dev Syangbo said that high priority will be given to the farmers of the youth who have returned from foreign employment in this program. According to him, priority will also be given to women, indigenous nationalities, Dalits, minorities and backward areas.

The directive also states that priority will be given to agricultural cooperatives and women and mothers’ groups, priority will be given to the families affected by natural disasters, priority will be given to youths who have returned from foreign employment and priority will be given to organizations registered at the local, provincial and federal bodies.

To participate in this program, one should have to own or lease at least 6 hectares of land, if the land is leased, then at least 10 years of agreement of the land should be submitted and the concerned land owner should submit approval for the construction of tubewells.

What products are preferred?

According to the directive, priority will be given to vegetables and fruits, spice crops, seed production and nursery, other cash crops, floriculture, medicinal herbs, fisheries, grass and animal feed.

As per the directive, on-site verification of the ownership and suitability of the land will be done. Places with potential groundwater resources will be identified.

As per the directive, the concerned office will carry out regular monitoring of the irrigation area, agricultural production and maintenance of infrastructures where the project is being operated.