Himalayan Times (1959)

January 18, 1969 $lnw4ae«* (*.-»ca " frtf

PANCHAYAT PRADHAN SHOWS THE WAY

Help the Plan: Help Yourself

The 49-year-eld cul-
tivator Har* Bilas of Son
villaga, in KheragarhCom-
munity Development
Block in Agra District of
Uttar Pradeib, ii an out-
standing example of how
■ound villaga teadarahip
can bring about a mira-
cle in the countryside
Progress achieved by bia
village haa aetad aa a
spur for other villages in
the blook, and also other
block* nearby.

Elected Pradhan of
the village panohayat
three yeara ago Har Bilaa
enjoya the support of
more than 80 per cent
of the 1,612 mtmbera of
305 families of bia village.

Leadership implies a
shredness to grasp new
ideas and to set an exam-
ple to others and also an
ability to take great pains
to do good to the com-
munity with the realisa-
tion that an individual
today stands or falls with
his village community.
"Times have changed,"1
saya Har Bilas, "and
today anyone who wishes
to enjoy the confidence
of the people must not
only give them the lead
but alao make sacrifices
for them."

Son village is today
amongst the most pro-

gressive villages of the
Kheragarh blook in Agra
Diatriot. Despite good
irrigation faoilities avai-
lable through two minor
projeots whose tail-ends
encompass several villages
of this block, the village
was baokward When,
therefore, the block was
inaugurated in 1954, in-
habitant's of this village
were among the first to
adopt new ideas with tbe
objective of increasing
their earning capacity.
New Extension
Techniques

Har Bilas, thsir lea-
der, was among the first
in this poor village to
try out the new exten-
sion teohniqaes-''dibbling"
fur self sufficiency in im-
proved seeds, line sowing,
use of improved seeds,
chemical fertilisers and
green manure for increa-
sed production—after the
blook staff had demons-
trated to him the utility
of these techniques on a
demonstration farm in the
block and provided free
fertilisers for demonstra-
tion purpo«es.

Har Bilas was also
among the first to adopt
and intensify a cropping
pattern which enables
utilisation of land between
two orops through tbe

introduction of each crops,
e.g. potato, peas, Vegeta-
bles, petha and cotton,
which always find a ready
market. Today nearly all
the oultivators in the
village, including the illi-
terate, are using the ex-
tension methods.

Improvements in the
field of animal husbandry
have also been significant.
To Increate the earnings
on other fronts, some 60
Ambay Charkbas have
been installed in the
homes.

For reclamation and
supply of fuel nearly 30
acres of community waste,
land have been planted
with Babool trees. One
farmer on his own has
planted five acres of his
wasteland.

A unique feature of
agriculture in Son villsge
is the intensification of
utilisation of the lean
period between two crops
by cultivation of potatoes,
peas,' vegetables, petha
and cotton. This has
brought prosperity to the
village eoonomy. On an
average, one-third of the
land of this village is
now devoted to potato
cultivation and Son is
among the largest pro-
ducers of potato in Agra
District, attracting traders