Nehru Did an Injustice by Going for Indus Waters Treaty

Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan is reaching out to farmers in the wake of India's decision to suspend the Indus Water Treaty, saying the move will benefit farming in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.

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The minister also attacked opposition Congress, slamming the country's first PM Jawaharlal Nehru for "meting out an injustice" to the country by signing the 1960 water-sharing pact.

Excerpts from an interview with Zia Haq:

The Centre announced the launch of a Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan (modern agriculture campaign) to raise farm output in the kharif or summer-sown season.

Is there a target for higher production?

Our agriculture growth rate has been 4.5-5% and our target is to maintain this growth rate in the next year too for agriculture and allied sectors. For this, newer technologies, innovation, new research and better seeds, we have to ensure all these are available to farmers. Under the Abhiyan, scientists will go to the doorsteps of farmers to handhold them on what is to be done, and how it is to be done. Lab to land -- this in a nutshell is the objective of the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan.

It is necessary not just to increase production but also to lower costs of cultivation.

How do you propose to bring down input costs?