Fadnavis asks agriculture universities in Maharashtra to prepare 'earn while you learn' stipend scheme

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis today said that he has asked agriculture universities in the state to prepare a "earn while you learn" stipend scheme for students to carry out field work.

Fadnavis said that, as part of the plan, students of agriculture colleges would be required to send agro advisories to farmers, collect data and ensure that a proper mechanism was created to disseminate information to farmers at the ground-level.

He told reporters that students would get a stipend, funded by the state government, for this work.

"The students will be responsible for sending agro advisories to farmers, data collection and ensuring all the agriculture related schemes and policies reach farmers," Fadnavis said.

He said the need of the hour was to ensure correct advisories to farmers in order to avoid double sowing.

"We need to create a mechanism for information dissemination and proper communication on the ground," Fadnavis said.

He said that the government was ready to make a provision for "earn while you learn" scheme which will work on an app-based mechanism.

"With this, we can reach out to farmers, have speedy communication, and do various interventions," Fadnavis said.

He was speaking while chairing a review meeting for this year's Kharif season.

The meeting was attended by cabinet ministers, secretaries of departments, Vice-Chancellors of various agriculture universities, collectors, CEOs of Zilla Parishads among others.