
Kerala State Farm Awards 2024 declared, Scaria Pillai C.J. wins Sibi Kallingal Memorial Karshakothama Award for best farmer
The award carries a cash prize of ₹2 lakh. Minister for Agriculture P. Prasad announced the 2024 State Farm Awards here on Wednesday. The awards were given in 46 categories this year.
Vani V., of Danappadi in Harippad, Alappuzha district, has won the 'Karshakathilakam' award for the best woman farmer. The award carries ₹1 lakh. The award for the best farmer in the transgender category, introduced for the first time, went to Vinodini of Njakkanal, Krishnapuram, Alappuzha.
Varghese Thomas of Vechoochira, Pathanamthitta, won the award in the differently-abled farmer category, while Cicil Chandran B.C. of Kulathur, Thiruvananthapuram, won the State award for the best hi-tech farmer. Fuselage Innovation Pvt Ltd at the KINFRA Hi-Tech Park, Kalamassery won the award for the best start-up.
The Meenangadi grama panchayat has won the C. Achutha Menon memorial award for local bodies for agricultural excellence. The award carries ₹10 lakh in cash prize. The V.V. Raghavan award carrying ₹5 lakh for the best Krishi Bhavan went to the Krishi Bhavan at Thanaloor, Malappuram. The Thumbidi Karippayi Paadasekhara Nellulpadaka Samithi, Elavanchery, Palakkad, won the ₹3 lakh K. Vishwanathan (Mitra Niketan) memorial Nelkathir Award.
Ramlath Alhad of Edathala, Ernakulam, won the best organic farmer award, Monu Varghese Mammen of Elanji, Ernakulam, won the best young farmer award, and R. Sivadasan, the Haritha Mithra award. Rahul N.V. (Monsoon Mushrooms) of Chavassery, Kannur, was adjudged the best mushroom farmer, and Umarali Shihab T.A., the best apiculturist.
Abbannur Ooru, Puthur, Palakkad, stood first among tribal communities engaged in organic farming.
Minimol J.S., professor and head, Cocoa Research Centre, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikara, won the M.S. Swaminthan award for agricultural research.
The awards will be presented at the Farmers' Day celebrations in Thrissur on August 17 (Chingam 1).
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Hindu
10 hours ago
- The Hindu
Secure Central funds, boost A.P.'s revenue sources, Naidu tells officials
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has underscored the importance of securing central government funds and improving tax devolution to strengthen Andhra Pradesh's finances. He also directed officials to pursue these priorities proactively while ensuring close monitoring of collections through the A.P. Tax Information System. Mr. Naidu, who reviewed the performance of revenue-generating departments on Thursday, stressed the need to enhance the State's own revenue sources and instructed that fuel for contract works, such as petrol and diesel, be purchased within Andhra Pradesh to prevent leakage to neighbouring States. In the current fiscal year, the State's revenue is expected to increase by 8% compared to the previous year. Public health must take precedence over excise revenue, and land registration values should reflect actual market prices rather than inflated figures. The services sector offers significant untapped potential for generating additional tax income, he said. Mr. Naidu called for a scientific analysis of property sales, the use of data analytics to track values, and the application of artificial intelligence to detect tax evasion and prevent leakages in government income. Data mapping The Chief Minister further ordered that land details be mapped using GIS for e-registrations and accurate boundary identification. RTGS and CCTV systems must be used to ensure proper vehicle tax collection, present incentives for electric vehicles should be continued, and the scrap vehicle policy should be implemented in line with the central guidelines. Mining activities are to be monitored through drones and satellite technology supported by data analytics. Auto-mutation should be implemented across all municipal corporations using technology-based data and RTGS records. Municipal records should be corrected and geo-tagged, and Aadhaar, mobile, and electricity data should be integrated to strengthen tax collection, he said. Officials informed him that the village boundary survey under the Swamitva scheme would be completed by February 2026. Mr. Naidu ordered regular audits of panchayat accounts. 'The State can earn about ₹1,500 crore from the sale of red sandalwood stocks held by the Forest Department,'' the Chief Minister said, and urged exploration of opportunities in the international market. Steps should be taken to generate revenue from bamboo-based products, he added.


The Hindu
10 hours ago
- The Hindu
Scheme launched to provide entrepreneurial opportunities to Haritha Karma Sena workers
With an aim to enhance the livelihood of Haritha Karma Sena (HKS) workers involved in waste collection in urban local bodies, the State government has launched a scheme to provide them with entrepreneurial opportunities and additional income streams. Minister for Local Self-Governments M.B. Rajesh inaugurated the scheme at a function held at Anthoor municipality in Kannur on Thursday (August 14, 2025), with the opening of the 'Bhoomika' organic fertilizer production and marketing unit established by the Anthoor HKS consortium. The new initiative, part of the Kerala Solid Waste Management Project (KSWMP) and supported by the World Bank, is expected to benefit more than 7,000 HKS members in 93 municipalities. The programme will focus on establishing value-added enterprises under each local body's HKS consortium, with activities including cloth bag production, organic fertilizer manufacturing, scrap trading and a host of other options. Improved living standards The local self government will provide the enterprises with both technical and financial assistance to elevate the living standards of the HKS members and promote sustainable waste management practices. The KSWMP will extend non-repayable grants to two enterprises in each urban local body, with a total outlay of ₹24 crore earmarked for the initiative. The incubation of 93 enterprise units is already under way. At the function, the Minister handed out financial sanction letters to 19 approved Business Development Projects from Anthoor, Attingal, Varkala, Punalur, Adoor, Cherthala, Thodupuzha, Koothattukulam, Marad, Kodungallur, Guruvayur, Vadakkancherry, Pattambi, Palakkad, Perinthalmanna, Koyilandy, Mukkam, Sulthan Bathery and Neeleswaram municipalities.


Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
CAG points out deviations from prescribed budgetary processes in Uttar Pradesh
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has questioned the Uttar Pradesh government's budget management procedures and pointed out deviations from the prescribed budgetary and accounting processes in the state. The CAG recommended that the state finance department should review the reasons for grants/appropriations remaining unutilised. (FILE PHOTO) Listing issues with budget management, the CAG has pointed out lapses in the regularisation of excess expenditure, classification of expenditure as revenue and capital, lump sum budgetary provisions, discrepancies in the depiction of centrally sponsored schemes, budget projections and gap between planning and execution. Under the provisions of Article 205 (1)(b) of the Constitution of India, if excess money has been spent on any service in a financial year (more than the amount granted for that service and for that year), the governor shall cause to be laid before the state legislative assembly a demand for such excesses. 'Excess disbursements amounting to ₹32,533.56 crore under 104 grants and 49 appropriations pertaining to the years 2005-2006 to 2023-2024 are yet to be regularised by the state legislature,' the CAG said in its report on the State Finances for 2023-24. The report was tabled in the state legislative assembly on Tuesday. The CAG further observed, 'Excess expenditure vitiates the system of budgetary and financial control and encourages financial indiscipline in management of public money and its non-regularisation is an infringement of the constitutional provision.' The CAG report pointed out misclassification between revenue and capital expenditure and as a result of misclassification of revenue expenditure as capital expenditure the revenue surplus was overstated by ₹283.39 crore in 2023-2024. The CAG report observed that lump sum provisions should not, as a rule, be made in the estimates except when the expenditure out of lump sum allotments is regulated by standing sanctions, instructions or rules. 'During the year 2023-2024, lump sum provisions of ₹11,022.30 crore crore were made under various heads of 17 grants without indicating scheme details. Out of these lump sum provisions, actual expenditure of ₹6474.16 crore (58.74 per cept of the provisions) was incurred,' the CAG report said. There have been discrepancies in the depiction of centrally sponsored schemes, the report said, noting that in the case of 22 programmes under the centrally sponsored schemes the specified funding pattern (central share, state share and financial institution) was not mentioned. The CAG report also observed, 'During 2023-2024, actual expenditure was ₹5,84,110.09 crore against provision of ₹7,72,484.07 crore. The overall savings of ₹1,78,373.98 crore were 23.39 per cent of total provision…' The CAG report gave details of the pattern of lower budget utilisation against the budget provisions in the past five years (2019-2024). The report said the budgetary provisions increased consistently during the period while actual utilisation remained in the range of 73% to 77% between 2019-2024. The CAG recommended that the state finance department should review the reasons for grants/appropriations remaining unutilised and take steps to make more judicious budget provisions in future. It also suggested that the reappropriations should be based on careful assessment of fund requirements.