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In the presence of Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Wednesday at the Chief Minister's residence under the 'Vibrant Village Programme', aimed at strengthening local economies in border areas.
The agreement was signed between the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and the Uttarakhand Horticulture Board to facilitate the procurement of locally grown fruits and vegetables for ITBP units stationed across the state, according to a press release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO). The Chief Minister described the MoU as a significant step towards the holistic development of farmers, local producers and border regions in Uttarakhand. He stated that through this agreement, ITBP personnel deployed in the state will be provided with fresh fruits and vegetables sourced locally. This will not only ensure access to nutritious and high-quality food for the jawans but will also help farmers receive fair prices for their produce. As per the release, the Chief Minister emphasised that this initiative will strengthen the state government's commitment to promoting local products and will provide farmers with a stable and sustainable market for their produce. Under this arrangement, the supply of local products will be ensured in remote and border districts such as Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, and Champawat, as well as in Dehradun. He added that the agreement will help improve the economic condition of farmers in border areas and ease the challenges they face in accessing markets. The state government remains fully committed to safeguarding farmers' interests and ensuring the welfare of security personnel. This agreement is expected to be mutually beneficial. Earlier as well, under the Vibrant Village Programme, agreements were made between the Uttarakhand Government and ITBP for the procurement of local products, which have yielded encouraging results, the press release stated. So far, ITBP has procured local produce worth Rs 14.77 crore, and efforts are ongoing to further scale up procurement. Officials noted that if ITBP sources even 25 per cent of its annual requirement of fruits and vegetables from Uttarakhand, it could generate an estimated income of around Rs 6 crore for local farmers. (ANI)
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