Coimbatore round up

Training camp held for tribal farmers at Attappady

The ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, organised an ‘Awareness-cum-Training Campaign for Enhancement of Tribal Income’ at Attappady in association with ICAR - KVK, Palakkad, recently. The day-long programme included training sessions to enhance income of tribal people, input distribution, quiz and poster competitions for tribal school children and millet recipe competition for tribal women.

V. Venkatasubramanian, ICAR- ATARI (Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute - Zone XI), Bengaluru, explained the role of ICAR-KVKs in enhancing farmers’ incomes across the country. He urged the tribal people to make use of the millet processing unit set up in the region.

P. Govindaraj, Director, ICAR-Sugarcane Breeding Institute, said the Institute’s tribal development initiatives through the Development Action Plan for Scheduled Tribe Component project was recognised by the Salem district administration at the Republic Day celebrations.

Over 300 tribal farmers in the region participated and benefited from the campaign, said a press release.

Property promoters seek enhancement of cap for affordable housing

The Confederation of Real Estate Developers Associations of India, Coimbatore unit, has urged the Central government to increase the cap of ₹45 lakhs for affordable housing category.

Welcoming the announcements in the Union budget for the property sector, its president Gugan Ilango said that as far as the housing sector is concerned, nil tax for annual income up to ₹12 lakh would put a higher disposable income in the hands of the prospective home buyers. As such it would give a thrust to the housing sector. Further, the proposal to remove tax liability for the owner-occupied second home was a welcome measure. However, continuing to keep the cap on affordable housing at ₹45 lakh per unit announced several years ago was a deterrent given the surging costs of land, building materials, wages, and rising inflationary trend. It should be increased to ₹75 lakh, he said.