Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat Thursday said the state government will brook no delay in setting up growth centres and asked officials to fully implement the scheme in a time-bound manner. Reviewing the progress of the scheme at a meeting here, Rawat said enough funds have been sanctioned for the purpose through NABARD. The World Bank has also agreed to fund the development of growth centres, according to an official release.

Briefing the chief minister about the progress of the project, officials said most of the growth centres will start functioning in the next 3-4 months. The work on developing turmeric and chilli cluster by Amotha Agri-Business Growth Centre is being started in the Ekeshwar block of Pauri Garhwal by Watershed Management Department. Semar Agri-Business Growth Centre in Ekeshwar Block, Naali (Falait) in Dhauladevi, Raipur (Thano), Kapkot, Punah Pokhari (Charkarta) and Khariasi centre in Jaunpur Development Block will be functional by March.

Rawat suggested that the vacant school buildings and Patwari posts should be used for the growth centres. In addition, the chief minister issued instructions to work on the action plan to develop a cluster of famous local yellow chilli in Lakhauri near Bironkhal, Nainidanda. The CM also said that a proposal to open 25 selling points of Uttarakhand products in Delhi has been discussed with New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC).

Due to the large population of Uttarakhand migrants in Delhi, there is a good demand for local products of the state there. Four growth centres of cluster-based trout fishery farming under the fisheries department, Dehradun cluster-based Pangasius and Carp farming in Haridwar will start by March.